


Herringbone

by BeastFeast87



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Anal Play, Anal Sex, Anxiety Attacks, Blow Jobs, Camp Counselor AU, Fluff and Angst, Holding Hands, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Intrusive Thoughts, Knitting, M/M, Making Out, Masturbation, Max and David are both 24 in this fyi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Child Abuse, Pineapple on Pizza Discourse, Praise Kink, Prostate Massage, Recreational Drug Use, References to Depression, Scent Kink, Service Kink, Stress Dreams, Touch-Starved, Verbal Humiliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-01-10 19:55:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 35
Words: 93,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12306582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeastFeast87/pseuds/BeastFeast87
Summary: "Herringbone stitching (in knitting) is a thick, dense type of stitch that traps heat and is commonly used in scarves and home interior projects.  It's a time-consuming stitch, but the end result is a sturdy fabric that resists tears and breaks, and dense enough to break most cold winds".Max is touch starved.  David wants to know why he's here if he hates it so much.  The story of their journey to try and be good people, while fucking up along the way.(Currently has uneven updates due to moving, sorry guys)





	1. Who Needs Them

Max wasn’t a liar, most of the time.  There are very few things he wouldn’t own up to.  He didn’t give a shit if people found him stealing things, or setting their couch on fire because he was bored, or any other stupid shit he’d get himself into.  

 

But Max did lie to himself, and he did it a lot.  It wasn’t a perfect way of coping, but he’d get by.  He always did.

 

He’d come to terms long ago with the fact that no one wanted to touch him.  And it didn’t matter, really.  Anytime he did find himself being touched by someone, it was fairly easy to just slap their hand away, or spit venom in their face.  It was fine by him.  He was fine.  He could exist by himself, and he would survive.  Hot showers helped.  Sleeping with heavy blankets helped.  He wore his hoodie for a reason, and it wasn’t just for the sake of rebellion against the camp employee rules.  It kept the direct skin-to-skin contact off, and it was easier to collect himself after someone touched him.  The soft warmth and weight from a hand on the shoulder could be unbearable through the thick fleece (he completely avoided handshakes now), but he’d survive.

 

Max was nothing if not determined to live.  It was his own personal way of revenge.  Being pissed off at the world helped him make it out of being a kid alive, and yeah, _maybe_ that wasn’t healthy, but it was all he had.  It was all he ever had.

 

It was all he knew how to do.

 

It was all he knew how to _be_.

 

So when some touchy-feely counselor tried to hug him not 60 seconds after meeting him for the first time, he thought he’d implode before the summer was over.

 

And yet, here he is, still.  Surviving.

 

But he’d never get used to David and his fucking touches.

 

“Gooooooood morning co-counselor o’ mine!  Are you ready for a fun day full of fabulous flighty camp fun?!” David squealed, his arm laying across Max, his hand on the furthest shoulder.  Max felt his skin turn in on itself, that was too _warm_ , too _gentle_ , he _didn’t want this he can’t deal._

 

Non-violent physical contact was awful.  Hell, it was almost as harsh as a slap to the face.  It was a horrible reminder that there was no way to truly compensate for human contact that he’d never had, and never would.

 

David didn’t touch Max because he wanted to.  David did it just because that was what David did.

 

Max twisted in the arm and kicked his boot into David’s shin.  He screeched, and curled up on himself, holding the injured leg.  “Blow me, David.  I’m not going to be a part of your bullshit quote, unquote: fun,” he spits, making little quotes with his fingers.

 

David sniffled and turns around to face Max again, smile a little smaller.  It gave Max a small flash of triumph.  “Aw come on, Max!  We need another lifeguard!”

 

“But I’m not certified.  And I refuse to save anyone that can’t save themselves,” he replied dryly.

 

David chuckles as though Max has just said something silly and nonsensical.  “Aw, don’t worry about it.  Just get into your swimsuit and come down to the waterfront!” he says cheerfully.

 

Max grumbles.  “David, I get that you’re trying to get me involved or whatever, but I’m not swimming, and I’m not taking my fucking shirt off”.

 

David frowns.  “Max, come on, it’s going to be fun!”

 

Max just frowns.

  


* * *

 

  


At the waterfront, Max has on a pair of swim shorts long enough to cover his thighs, but still swamped in his thick hoodie.

 

“Max, why do you still have your hoodie on?” David asks, pointedly.  Max finds his eyes flickering to the redhead’s pale collarbone, his shoulders colored with a farmer’s tan.  The skin around his neck looks terribly soft and enticing, and Max wonders, not for the first time, what it would feel like under his fingertips.  His hair was slicked back with lake water, and his flesh glistened with beads of cold water.

 

Max darted his eyes back up, to meet David’s the kind smile curious.  To Max, it felt sickening.  He licks his lips, and he sees David’s eyes trace the action.  “I don’t know, _David_ ,” he said scathingly.  “ _Maybe_ I’ve got fucked up scars that I don’t like to talk about.   _Maybe_ I have a weird tattoo.   _Maybe_ I have a shitty body image and have a low self-esteem!”

 

David’s eyes widened, and his face turned pinched with concern.  “I-is that… true…?”

 

“ _Oh my god_ , I’m not taking my hoodie off, asshat!”

 

“Okay!  Okay!  You know what?  It’s fine!  It doesn’t matter!  I just need you here to watch the kids with me, there has to be two counselors on the beach when the kids are swimming,” he concedes, raising his hands in surrender.  “I just want you to feel included”.

 

Max cracks open a fold out lawn chair on the sandy beach and sits, pulling a pair of sunglasses down from the top of his head to cover his eyes.  “Well, stop it”.  He leans against the high back of the chair, closing his eyes.  The sun feels nice on his face, and the inside of his hoodie feels pleasantly toasty.

 

It’s quiet, and Max is grateful for the silence and reprieve from David’s constant pep.  He’ll admit to himself that these moments, the silent ones where they don’t talk, don’t have to, are nice.  He starts to feel himself drift in and out of a doze, something Max has rarely had.  His breathing slows to soft breaths, his body slowly unwinding in the warm sun.

 

“Max?  Can I ask you something?”

 

Aaaand it’s ruined.

 

“Fucking... what?”

 

He hears David shift behind him.  Is he nervous?  “Why are you… here?”

 

 _What?_  “You’re the one that made me come down here, asshole.  Do you have brain damage or something?”

 

David leans down to rest his arms behind Max’s head on the top of the chair’s headrest, and Max fights himself not to flinch away so obviously.  He can’t help the twitch he gives though and shirks away from the arms.  “No, no, not that.  I mean… why are you _here_ , here.  At this camp?  You don’t seem to enjoy this job at all, and you don’t seem the camping type so… why?  What’s your… deal?”

 

Max grits his teeth.  He could lie, but he has a feeling the truth would hit David worse.  He weighs the options of opening up.  “My parents died in March”.  He bites the words out and tries to keep his body loose, but it feels wrong.  He lets his arms fall to fold across his abdomen and knits his fingers together to form some form of self-comfort.

 

He feels a hand come down to his shoulder.  “Oh, Max-” David breathes and the soft warmth of his hand is too much.  “I’m so sorry”.  Max has ignored every attempt so far that David has made to try and touch him, but he’ll withstand this.  He doesn’t have it in him to fight such comforts, even if he doesn’t deserve them

 

Max chuckles.  The warmth on his shoulder burns hotter, seeping through his hoodie.  “Don’t be.  They were assholes”.  He finds himself shrugging off the touch soon, the heat and soft pressure getting to be too much, his guilt forming a pit in his stomach.   _Don’t take things that you haven’t earned, Maxwell_ .  He shivers.  “They both had high-end jobs and apparently put away money.  Like, _a lot_ of money.  Their will said I could inherit all and a bunch of their shit if I kept a job for five years.  This looked easy, and I don’t completely hate kids, so… yeah.  Here I am”.

 

A gentle, “Oh,” was all that was heard, before they lapsed into silence again.  Max feels like he should say something.  “My dad isn’t around either,” David says, extending the words like an invitation.

 

There’s a ‘daddy issues’ joke right at the tip of his tongue, but he bites it back.  He’s an asshole, he’ll admit that, but he’s not a _monster_.  “Is he dead?”

 

David sits on the sandy ground, and leans against the chair side, damp shoulder against Max’s sun-warmed arm.  He feels the dampness through his sleeves.  “I don’t know.  He might be”.  He looks down at his hands, sadly.  “I think that makes it worse.  He could be anywhere”.

 

Max sits up a little.  “What… happened?” he asks slowly.  “Not that it’s any of my goddamn business,” he corrects hastily.

 

David turns and smiles tightly.  “It’s okay”.  He takes a deep breath.  “He just left, one day.  Fell in love with a woman waiting tables at a restaurant he took my mom for their anniversary.  He left a few months later”.

 

Max feels his lip curl.  “Jesus, what a dick,” he snarls before he can stop himself.

 

David startles and looks at him in shock.  He’s about to apologize when David laughs.  A real laugh, not one of his forced laughs he always does to reassure.  It’s bubbly and warm as the sunshine, a little snort making a guest appearance.  Max’s heart squeezes like a water balloon thrown against a wall.  “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he says after a while.  “I haven’t spoken to him in… shoot, 14 years I think”.  David falls silent.  “It’s fine, I don’t care much anymore,” he says, sounding as though he still cares.  “It shouldn’t matter, my mom’s still around and she loves me.  She’s always been enough, it’s not like having a dad is _necessary_ or anything, it’s fine!” he says, as though reassuring himself.

 

Max stares a moment, feeling a bit out of place.  He’d always just assumed David was freakishly happy, or was dropped on his head too many times as a kid and had a chemical imbalance.  To find out there was no one to actually _drop him_ on his head was… weird.  It was a weird truth.  “Fuck dads”.

 

David chuckles.  “Yeah.  Agreed”.  He offers his hand to Max’s, who’s dropped it to his side.  When Max doesn’t move away, he takes it in his and Max has to fight himself a moment to let it happen.

 

David’s hand is _cool_ and _nice_ and he rubs his thumb gently across the back of Max’s hand in a comfort Max never knew existed.  He almost slams the brakes to the intimate moment before a thought hits him.   _David needs this_ , it says.  He could do this.  He could hold hands.   _For David’s sake_.  Or at least that’s what he told himself.

 

What was he supposed to do?  It’s not like he’d ever done this before.  Should he do the thumb-thing too?  What if that made it weird?  Or David didn’t like that, just liked doing it to others?  Maybe he should just stay still?  

 

David opens his hand, and for a moment Max felt his insides cry for him to come back and keep holding his hand and to never let go, but then David rubs his fingertips along Max’s own, the redhead watching the hands with a fond look on his face.  He looked… peaceful.

 

David’s fingers were longer than his and less scarred than Max’s hands, which were littered with long, pale lines from factory and bitch-work jobs that kept him from moving back in with his parents.  He had thick knuckles that had kept him safe in dark streets on his way home and weren’t hesitant to be bloodied.  David’s fingernails were dirty, the cuticles a bit bloodied from the outdoors.  One finger had a slightly thicker joint, like it had been broken once.

 

God, it was just so… nice.  It felt tender and gentle, like the first time he held a kitten.  David’s hand had been cold from the lake, but it had slowly warmed to Max’s temperature, creating an equilibrium.

 

“Why… are you here?”  He feels David perk up, knotting their fingers together.  “I mean _other_ than your camping fetish, with this one in particular”.

 

He feels David chuckle next to him.  “I didn’t know where else to go and… this was the first place I thought of”.

 

Max looks over, and to his surprise, David has a sad, small smile on his face.  “Seriously?”

 

David looks to Max.  His face is too close  He feels David’s hot breathe on his cheek like kettle steam.  His eyes are too green and too warm.  Max feels his blood boil with an unnamed emotion.  “Seriously”.  They listen a moment to the delighted shrieks of the campers, a few waving to them.  David waves back.  Max uses his other hand to flip them off.  The kids cackle, and return to playing, returning the gesture to him.  “You shouldn’t do that, you’ll be a bad influence”.

 

Max shrugs, and David pulls Max’s arm to situate over his, the thick hoodie separating them.  “At least I don’t mean it.  They know that”.

 

David huffs but doesn’t reply.  Then, he turns to Max, smiling.  “I’m glad to have you here with me, Max.  You’re a good person,” David says, in that earnest way of his, smiling all the while.

 

The thing about David is that when he says something, you know he believes it, one-hundred percent and without a doubt.  When David tells you that he thinks you’re a good person, you want to believe it’s true.

 

The problem is that David is human, and like all humans, he is wrong sometimes.

 

But god, it makes Max hope.

 

It made you want to learn _how_ to be good, even if you knew you weren’t.  Max hates that.  He’d given up trying to be good a long time ago.  Being good just wasn’t an option for him for a long time, and now that he was older, and didn’t have to be… he didn’t know what to do.

 

So he just said, “Thanks”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please drop a comment, it's hard to stay motivated when the entire fandom hate's your shipping guts.
> 
> Also, I don't have a beta, so feel free to drop corrections to grammar.
> 
> Thanks.


	2. Laundry Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max (pretends) to do the laundry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so first of all? Everyone is super nice. Everyone left amazing comments on my last chapter that really helped me get inspired and honestly? Holy shit. This is my first story and getting feedback like this is huge. Thank you so much, your comments really motivate me. 
> 
> I already had chapter 2 finished when I published chapter 1, but I get anxious when I let anyone review my work and wasn't sure if anyone was actually going to read this. 
> 
> Chapter 3 will take a bit longer, but hey you guys fucking earned the hell out of this, so thank you so much.
> 
> Also, I'm sorry if Max seems out of character in this, I like the idea that he mellows out a little with age, and acts different alone than when he's around people.

After their talk on the beach, Max and David’s dynamic had shifted.  Max still hid David’s old camp shirt in odd and unreachable places, and he still stole David’s phone to sign him up for subscriptions to call girls, and still frequently slacked off in his responsibilities.  David still tried to hype the kids up for shitty camp activities, and still offered hugs at the expense of a kick in the knees from Max (and a few of the campers), and went above and beyond his post as a counselor to make things more fun for them; yet, Max felt the change in the air almost immediately.

 

When he came into the cafeteria the day after their talk on the beach, David was walking around like usual, cheering up the campers.  The second he saw Max, however, he offered Max a mug of coffee (in Max’s favorite mug, the one that held just the right amount, so he only had to get up and refill it once instead of four times), his other hand around his own mug of fruity smelling tea.  

 

“Here you go, Max!” he offered with a small smile, different from the over large one he usually sported.  It set Max’s teeth on edge immediately.

 

Max looked into the pale brown coffee.  He sniffed it curiously.  “What did you do to it?”

 

David looked so offended that if Max wasn’t pretending to wake up from pretending to sleep he probably would have laughed.  “Nothing!  It’s just creamer!”

 

“I like it black, David,” he says dryly, handing it back to David.  He yawns and stretches, his shoulders popping when he raises them above his head.  He opens an eye to see David blatantly staring down, eyes half-lidded and something stirring in the soft green depths like fish at the bottom of a pond.  “What?”

 

David’s eyes flick back to Max’s and he shakes himself, cheeks pink.   He then broke into a slightly strained grin.  “Nothing!  I’ll fix it, just sit and get some breakfast!” and scurried away.

 

And that was that.  The next day, David had the coffee right, and sat next to Max while the redhead ate.  Max just drank his black cup of joe while David talked enthusiastically about the camp activities planned.  Max simply hummed and tried to force his mind awake.

 

The touches got worse, too.  David would put his hand on the small of Max’s back every day, trying to draw Max into his side and Max wasn’t sure when, but he knew he’d snap soon.  He always took a step away, his lip curling and trying to recover himself.  The second time, he noticed a flash of hurt in the redhead’s eyes.  He stopped moving away but continued to complain loudly, trying to distract himself from the firm hand on his back.

 

David once made the mistake of putting his hand on the back of Max’s neck.  Max’s mind had been fine one second, then flicked to _DANGER DANGER DANGER_ so quickly at the feeling of such a vulnerable part of his body that he’d punched David in the cheek, screeching.  He’d felt bad about that, but at least David didn’t try to do it again.

 

David seemed to think that it was okay to hold Max’s hand when they were alone, too.  Normally, when David and Max sat on the couch to watch movies or more Bob Ross, Max would sit on one end of the couch curled into a ball with his arms crossed, and David would sit with his legs crossed sitting up.  Now, however, David moved purposefully closer to Max and would lay his hand on his own and do the goddamn thumb rubbing thing again.  Max tried waiting until David sat first to sit farther away, but he would just slowly migrate closer to him.  It didn’t matter if he crossed his arms or anything.  David would slowly hunt out his hand to grasp it, and wouldn’t stop until they were folded together.

 

It wasn’t the only time either.  David would take Max’s hand in his anytime, even in front of the kids.  He could just be standing around, and suddenly the redheaded counselor would blow in like a grinning, wide-eyed hurricane and grab his hand in his and drag him off to show him a tree or a fox or something equally stupid.

 

It still sent him reeling, even more than the day at the beach.  There, David’s skin had been cool and clammy from the lake water.  Now, the redhead’s flesh was warm, with soft palms and small calluses, nails that gently ran along Max’s palm and made him shiver.

 

It fucked up his coping mechanisms.  Showers, no matter how hot, didn’t offer any comfort to him.  They felt cold compared to David’s hand on his, the thumb rubbing the back of his hand gently.  It didn’t matter how many heavy blankets he piled onto himself to sleep.  It didn’t compare to the weight of David’s hand at his back.  Clutching at a mug of hot coffee just didn't give the same calm and comfort it used to.

 

He felt broken, like an addict that never knew when his next high would be.  He had to fight himself every moment he saw David to not grab his hand in his own, or tuck himself into the taller man’s arms.  He curled in on himself around his pillow at night fantasizing.  Would it be gentle?  Or would he hold him tightly like he never wanted to let go?  Would it be warm?

 

God, he was pathetic.  He fucking fantasized about hugging someone that was only _almost_ considered a friend, because he wasn’t on shitty terms with him.  Max knew that if he asked, David would undoubtedly drop everything to hug Max, but he knew that it would be shitty of him to play David like that.  To force him into touching him, just because he knew David couldn’t say no?   _Don’t take things you haven’t earned, Maxwell._

 

Max threw his clothes into the hamper.  “David, get your shit together, I’m taking laundry, and I’m not picking up whatever’s on the floor”.  This, of course, was a bluff.  David was clean to an almost neurotic level.  He even folded his underwear and paired his socks, something Max had never done in his life.  Whatever ended up on his ass and his feet, ended up on his ass and feet.

 

David hollered his approval of Max taking the hamper.  “It’s okay!  Hey, do you mind if I borrow a hoodie?  All mine are dirty and it’s cold today”.  Max stiffened.  Did David even _have_ hoodies of his own?  He’d only ever seen him wear that tiny vest he had that was better suited for a child.  “Max?!”

 

“WHAT,” he yelled.

 

“Can I borrow a hoodie?!” David called again.  

 

“Fucking fine!  Yes, it’s in my closet!”

 

“Thank you!”

 

Max had three hoodies, to ensure he never was without one: His ratty blue one that had been one of the only things he had when he moved out of his parent’s house, a navy blue band hoodie he’d saved up for at his first concert, and his old, thick grey one that had his team name on it from when he’d been forced to join the baseball team.  He never played a single game and had fucked with the signature for his name on the back to be printed “BADASS” and his number to be #69.

 

He used to think he was so funny.

 

…

 

Ah, what the hell.  He still was.

 

And so, he hauled the cloth bag up and over his shoulder and made his way to the washroom.  Turning around, he found a sight he was unprepared for.  David was pulling the navy hoodie over his chest, the oversized fabric clouding his figure.  David’s head popped from the hole.  “Thanks, Max!”  He looks in the mirror and straightens the sweatshirt, then pulls out the front of the hoodie.  “What’s a ‘Watsky’?”

 

Max shakes himself, his face hot.  “Rapper.  I’m going to take care of the clothes.  See you,” he replies, turning away.

 

Max liked doing laundry, or rather, fucking around while pretending to do it.  He often stuck around to wait for the all the clothes to completely finish, which sometimes took all day.  Max eventually found a certain system of wait time until laundry day, and how often he changed, and when he should turn a pair of underwear inside out for a second use.

 

He shucked the bag off his back, stretched, and got to work, sorting everything from darks to lights, making sure to separate the whites.  Throwing the cool colors in, Max paused when he pulled up a green Camp Campbell pine tree shirt with a small ‘D’ written on the tag.   _David’s shirt_.

 

Max bit his lip thinking about David wearing his hoodie.   _If I let him wear my hoodie, he probably won’t mind if I…_

 

Max slowly pulled the shirt closer to his face, and almost as if in a trance, he pressed the shirt to his nose and let out a small noise.

 

David’s shirt smelled like his shitty mint deodorant that did nothing to actually keep him from sweating.  It smelled like tree sap, and cut grass, and the tangy smell of sweat that was only _David’s_.  The softest scent of David’s favorite fruity tea eased its way into his nostrils like a brush on the cheek.  His fingers clenched into the cheap cotton and knotted themselves into it, breathing deep and desperate.

 

He gasped like a dying man.  He couldn’t catch his breath.  It felt like the bottom of his lungs fell out and no matter how much air he pulled through them it would never be enough.  He didn’t even realize he was crying until he pulled the shirt away and saw the dark stains of tears on the fabric.  He rubbed his face with his hoodie sleeves, and just stood there a moment, trying to collect himself.  He shuddered with every sob, his entire frame wracked with a strangely wistful feeling.

 

As he slowly calmed down, he looked at the shirt, leaning against the half-empty washing machine.  Then, he had a terribly seductive idea.

 

He felt himself pull off his hoodie without even thinking.  He halted, shirt almost over his head.   _What was he doing?_  He felt a sudden rush of shame.  He was acting like a high school girl that stole her first boyfriend’s shirt to wear.  Hell, David wasn’t even his _boyfriend_ so _why_ was he doing this?  “You dumb shit,” he growled to himself.

 

 _But it couldn’t hurt!_  A voice cried.   _He has your hoodie, you should be allowed a shirt!  It’s a tradeoff!  Just this once!_

 

Max pulled his shirt the rest of the way off.  He grabbed the shirt with drying tear stains and paused before the final thought of, _Fuck it!  Don’t feel bad for being guilty!  If you’re going to do it, lean into it!_ ran through his head.  He pulled the shirt over his head and rubbed his arms.  He still hesitated, settling into the oddly intimate feeling of the cotton shirt on his back.

 

He didn’t… _feel_ any different…  Maybe the armpits were a little sticky with sweat in a gross way, but- _Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute._ He ducked his head, pulling the shirt up to his nose, and understood immediately.  Getting an idea, he hurriedly yanked his blue hoodie over his head, pulled the green shirt up, and inhaled.

 

The combined scent of the shirt and the weight of the hoodie left him feeling dizzy.  He felt wrapped in warmth, the feeling soft and comforting.   _This must be what a hug feels like_ .  He couldn’t remember his mother ever hugging him.  He wouldn’t be surprised if his father didn’t even know what a hug _was_.  The only memories he could stir up were stiff hands on his shoulders, and his grandmother patting his head.  It was nothing compared to the pure feeling of security that blanketed him like a heavy snowfall.

 

His thoughts came back to him.  ‘ _Just this once’._  He didn’t know if he _could_ go back to the way things used to be.  He wanted this all the time; to be able to tuck his head slightly like he was slouching and dip his nose into David’s scent like a starved animal.  It was just enough, not searing his skin like David’s touches, but gentle enough like a soothing reassurance.

 

He dropped the rest of the clothes into the washer and pulled out his headphones.  He reveled in the new feeling of safety and pulled out his knitting.  He had a feeling this would be a long day, washing clothes.

 

 

* * *

 

 

He didn’t see David until dinner, and he was still wearing his shirt.

 

“Hey, Max!  How’d laundry go?” he asked, eyes bright with the hoodie still covering him.

 

“Eh.  Shitty as ever.  I had to tape the hose again,” he replied, a small pang of guilt in his gut.  He slapped the feeling away, tucking his head down into his hoodie to smell the shirt again.  “Thanks,” he said, taking a plate of hot food from his co-counselor.  “So what’s up with you?  Did the little shit’s behave?”  David opened his mouth to answer.  “Just kidding, I don’t care”.

 

He felt David’s eyes on him as he scooped the food into his mouth.  “Are you… feeling well?  You seem like you’re in an uncharacteristically good mood”.

 

“What, I can’t be happy?  Is that it, _David_?” he growled playfully.

 

David apparently didn’t follow and waved his hands in surrender.  “No, no!  That’s not what I’m saying at all!  It’s just that you’re acting differently!  Did something happen?”

 

Max paused, and for a moment he thought about tearing off his hoodie and showing David what he was wearing, confessing how lonely he felt.  How he’d cried.  His desperation for any safe kind of human contact, and the way he hated how his body resisted it.  He felt the lies he’d been telling himself breaking down.

 

They felt like lies again.

 

He shook his head and smiled.  “Nah, I’m good.  I just have a good feeling about today”.

 

David smiled in confusion, eyebrows furrowed.  “It’s almost 7 pm, Max,” he replied slowly.

 

Max grinned back like his mouth was full of razor blades.  “Then I was right,” he said and promptly kicked David’s seat out from under him, making the taller man scream as he plummeted to the floor.  Max cackled and shifted so he could feel the cotton of the shirt rub his back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any constructive criticism is welcome, and don't be afraid to drop a comment! It really is appreciated.
> 
> And hey. Thanks.


	3. First Aid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a good thing David is first aid certified, huh?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for this chapter: there's some injury (very little blood), so anyone squeamish should prepare themselves for it. I'm pretty vague I'd say though.

Max sighs quietly from his perch atop the counselor’s cabin.  It sent a deep warmth into his bones as he leaned back in the fold-out chair.  He’d been avoiding his responsibilities all day and had a feeling David was on the warpath looking for him.

 

He’d been avoiding him as best as he could since the whole shirt debacle in the laundry room.  Looking David in the eye was hard, and so Max had gotten on a regular laundry schedule to compensate.  No longer was it ‘pile-the-clothes-as-high-as-I-can-so-I-can-fuck-around’ day, it was the day he swapped shirts.

 

Max had found that going through the day with David’s shirt on was a little distracting and more than once found himself on the short end of the stick, like when Liz jump served her volleyball into the side of his head when he’d been trying to bury his face in the sweet-smelling shirt, or the other time Randy-san (he refused to answer unless you added the ‘-san’) threw paper ninja stars that gave him some wicked papercuts.

 

So instead, he borrowed a single shirt to sleep in at night for a week.  The surprising part was that he actually  _ got _ sleep, instead of spending six hours staring at the ceiling listening to music, or the usual two hours his body managed to suspend his consciousness.  His body felt loose and calm getting into bed with David’s shirt tucked under his hoodie.  It calmed his thoughts to a lull and brought him down to sleep quicker when he had the scent of raspberry tea and mint deodorant filling his nose.  He wasn’t sure what to make of that, but he wasn’t about to complain.  He thought about trading his pillowcase for the shirt so he could have the scent closer to his face, but he had a feeling David discover him immediately, so the thought was cast away.

 

He barely felt remorse about it anymore when David didn’t give his hoodie back.  The mornings had been cold the past few weeks and David wore the dark hooded sweatshirt like it was his own.  Max would have asked for it back, but each time he considered bringing it up, the thought of the green shirt flung itself to the forefront of his mind, and as his mouth went dry he thought,  _ Well, maybe not. _  It struck a sort of possessive cord in him.  He wondered if David ever ducked his head into  _ his _ hoodie like he did with David’s shirt.

 

The thought sends Max’s belly writhing with unidentifiable feelings.

 

“You’ve been doing the laundry a lot, lately,” David inquired that morning.  “Any reason?”

 

“I got tired of turning my briefs inside out,” he’d replied.  “Besides, it’s always a treasure to see your tighty-whities.  I can’t believe you have a pair of  _ dinosaur underwear _ ”.

 

David dropped it after that.

 

Max hummed and shifted in his seat, slowly drifting in and out of consciousness.  He was always grateful for any moment his mind shut down like this, his mind a slow blur.  He felt himself give small twitches with each slight breeze that brushed small tufts of his hair from his face.  He was just teetering on the cusp of sleep, when he heard a shout.

 

“MAX!  GET DOWN FROM THERE, YOU’LL FALL!”

 

“JESUS FUCK!” screeched Max, the sound of a megaphone so close startling him.  Unfortunately, it stirred his chair that had been precariously balanced on the roof to slide down.  In Max’s mad scramble to regain some traction, the chair flipped and sent him tumbling.

 

Max felt air rush past his ears.   _ Well.  This is how I die.  Wearing a pair of sunglasses and killed by the only guy that wasn’t a dick to me. _

 

Fortunately, Max didn’t die that day.

 

Unfortunately, he did still fall off the roof.  Max felt his shoulder slam into the ground, a loud  _ POP _ filling his ears leaving them ringing.  The chair he’d been previously sitting in then betrayed him and crashed down, the metal leg slamming into his forehead.  “AH!  MOTHER _ FUCKER!!! _ ”

 

He heard a lot of scrambling, and felt the chair lift off of him, shadows swimming in front of his eyes.  “Max!  I-I’m so sorry!  Are you okay?!”

 

Max blinked, rubbing his forehead with the arm that wasn’t hurting like a bitch.  His vision cleared slowly cleared, each blink taking a huge effort.  His eyes revealed a frightened David with a hat full of lures and a vest with a million pockets that was covered in patches and buttons.  “No!  I think I broke my fucking arm!”  David sits him up and leans him into his side.  Max tries to pull away, his head swimming.  “Do  _ not  _ fucking touch me!  Do not  _ fucking  _ touch me!”

 

“Max, stop!  You’ll hurt yourself!” David cries, hand gripping his arm.  

 

“Can’t be any worse than you just did!  Fuck, my head,” he groaned, falling back to the dirt with a thud.

 

“Take a deep breath!  Just calm down okay?”  Max gulps air as David scrambles.  “Uh, okay kids!  Quiet hour, go back to your tents for now.  I’ll take care of Max, alright?”

 

“Is Sensei going to be alright?” piped up Randy-san from the side, looking especially worried.

 

“Yeah, I’ll be fine, kid.  I’d be even better if some asshole didn’t startle me off the fucking roof,” hissed Max through his teeth, reluctantly using David as a crutch.  He tried to concentrate on the pain in his arm to take his mind off David’s steady touch.

 

David gave a strained grin.  “Come on, let’s go inside, alright?” he said as he slowly brought Max into the cabin.

 

“Fuck you, David,” Max snapped.  The counselor's false grin faded to a look of worry.

 

David sat Max on the couch and set the megaphone on a shelf as the redhead ran into the bathroom.  Max tried to move his arm but ended up hissing through his teeth as pain raced up his shoulder.   _ Nope.  No, no, no, no, no.  Not doing that, I think the fuck not. _  David flies back into the room with a first aid kit.  “Okay, where does it hurt?”

 

“My shoulder, jackass!  The fuck did you use a megaphone for?!” he snarls as David reaches out to touch it.

 

“I’m so sorry, Max!  I didn’t mean for you to fall off, I just thought it might be hard to hear me up there!” he cries, prodding gently.

 

“Well good-  _ ow!  Fuck! _  Good news, asshole, I heard you!  You can put that on your resume now: ‘I can be heard easily with a megaphone, and also startled a guy trying to take a nap off a roof!”

 

David pulls back from his shoulder.  “I can’t treat this, I can’t see what’s wrong.  You need to take off your hoodie,” he says, reaching for the edge of the bottom.

 

“Fuck no!”

 

“Max, don’t be such a child!  Will you just let me help you?”  The redhead holds fast to the edge and uses his other arm to try and grip Max’s unhurt shoulder.

 

“No!” Max spits, trying to pull away, as David grits his teeth.  One of his eyes twitches much to Max’s satisfaction.  “This is your fucking fault!  Everything would have been fine if you didn’t come along and fuck it up!”

 

“What is your problem?!” David cries, forcing Max down to the couch, noticeably avoiding his hurt shoulder.  “I have done nothing but be nice to you since you got here, because I thought that we could be friends!”  Max struggles under him, glaring into the man’s eyes defiantly.  How the fuck is a guy with spaghetti noodles for arms so strong?  “All you ever do is push me around!  Why are you constantly kicking me down?  What did I do, Max?  Just tell me what I did wrong and I’ll apologize!  Okay?  I’m sorry, alright?  I’m sorry, just please, tell me what I did wrong and I’ll fix it!”

 

Max pants under him, struggling uselessly.  “Well, you can’t!  Newsflash, David: I’m not fucking happy here!  And I’m not going to let you use me like a goddamn sock puppet just to stroke your ego and make you feel better about yourself!  This place  _ sucks! _  I hate it here, and I’m not going to put on a happy face just because you think everybody should be satisfied where they are!”

 

David huffs, tears pooling in the corners of his eyes in frustration.  “Okay!  I’m sorry!  I’m sorry I ever try to do nice things for my  _ friend _ , who I  _ care _ about, and try to include him in fun activities!  All I ever do is  _ try  _ for you, Max and you treat me like an idiot!  What, do you think I don’t notice?!  I don’t hear you?  Why do you hate me so much?”

 

Max’s body feels like fire.  His arm hurts like a bitch, he’s pinned under the one guy he never thought would have the balls to do it, and the adrenaline is wearing off and he’s fucking  _ tired _ .  Worst of all, David’s fucking  _ touching him _ and he can’t get away.  All he wants is some fucking aspirin and a nap.  “I don’t hate you, dumbshit!”   _ Shut up, asshole.  He’s right, you’re being a fat sack of dicks, and you always have been you piece of garbage. _  “But I’m not going to let you ignore shit that’s fucking you over, so you can just sit around with your thumb up your ass, not doing anything about it!  The world doesn’t work like that, dumbass!  How about you work on fixing shit instead of ignoring it and pretending everything's fine?”

 

David stills above him, before he pulls back slowly.  “I’m not ignoring anything”.

 

Max turns, sitting up.  “Yeah, you are.  You do.  And it’s stupid”.  He shoots back, watching David flinch with satisfaction.  “Just get your shit together instead of putting newspaper over it like a dog pissed on the floor.  Just mop that shit up and move on.  The longer you drag it out, the worse it’s going to be, and I’m not going to let you do that to yourself or drag me down with you, just because you don’t want anyone to worry.  I’ve been through that shit once, and I’m not doing it again”.  David goes still, and slowly his lips quirk up in a sly smile.  “What?”  Max snaps.

 

“You care about me,” he whispers, breaking into a grin.  “I knew it!  Is that why you were so mean before?  You were trying to tell me it’s better to communicate my feelings instead of bottling them up in an unhealthy manner?” he asks, each breath teeming with excitement.

 

Max feels his face burn.  “What?  No, I’m just an asshole, I feel like you’re forgetting that.  Just shut up and get off me!”

 

David offers a hand.  “Are you ready to let me take off your hoodie then?” he asks gently.

 

Max hesitates a moment before sighing.  “Yeah, fine.  Just be careful and help me”.

 

“I’ll be very gentle,” David replies delicately and with much glee.  With many restrained growls of pain from Max and a few ‘sorry’s from David, his hoodie was slowly peeled off.  David poked a bit at the odd angle of his arm and hummed thoughtfully.  “Well, I’ve got some good news: your head is fine; the cut seems like it’s only superficial, and your arm’s definitely not broken,” he says in an encouraging tone, curiously eyeing Max’s head.

 

“Yeah, but…?” Max asks, frowning as he turns to look at it.  There’s an odd indent where there should have been round muscle, and he can’t turn his head too far without his neck flinching in pain.  David’s fingers feel like cigarette burns in the inside of his arm.

 

David sighed.  “Well, the bad news is that it’s dislocated”.

 

Max groans.  “Oh, fuck me”.

 

“I could drive you to a hospital,” David offers.

 

“Fuck no!  I don’t have money for that shit!  Look, let’s just pop it back into place here, alright?  Can you do that?” he growls, brushing his hair out of his face in exasperation.  His hand catches on the scabbed blood on his forehead and he hisses.

 

David shifts on his feet.  “I suppose we could, I do know how…  Are you sure about this?” he asks nervously.

 

“Yeah, you know what you’re doing right?”

 

David gives an offended look.  “Yes, of course!  ...Alright!  I’ll get the table.  You’ll need to lay on it,” he says, standing up and pulling his desk away from the wall.  He pulls each item quickly off and places it on the floor, and scoots it across the hardwood.  “Okay, lay on your back, and try to keep the weight off it, okay?  Oh, Max, I’m so sorry-” he says breaking off.  “I don’t use the word jerk lightly but… I’ve been a real clown today” he says miserably.  He takes his pillow off his bed and puts it on the table, sniffling all the while.

 

Max laughs breathily through the pain, slowly easing onto the table, his hoodie clenched in his hand.  “H-how is being a clown worse than being a jerk?”

 

David adjusts him so the small of Max’s back rests on the pillow, and takes Max’s arm in his hands.  He raises a brow to Max.  “Have you ever  _ seen _ a clown before?”

 

Max chuckles, before breaking off into a hiss of pain.  “Fair…  And you know what?  It’s fine, it’s not the worst thing that’s ever happened”.

 

“This is going to hurt,” David warns, face pinched.

 

Max sighs, settling down, and stretches the arm straight.  “Let’s just get it over with,” he grinds out.

 

David nods.  “Alright, I’m just going to slowly ease it up, and eventually it’ll pop back into place, okay?  Just tell me when”.

 

Max hums before he lurches with a shout.  “AH!  Shit!”

 

David flinches back before fluttering his hands along the arm.  “Are you okay?!  What’s wrong?!”

 

“I think you moved too fast…  Damn it…” Max hisses, tossing his head back.  His hair sticks to his face with sweat and effort.

 

David whines in distress.  “I’m sorry!  I’ve only tried this with mannequins”.

 

Max chuckles but breaks off into a groan.  “It’s fine, I’ll be okay.  You’re a good…” He pauses.  “Did you mean that?  About us being friends?”

 

David smiles.  “Of course.  Max, I’ve been here since I was seventeen, and I can honestly say that you’re my favorite person to have ever worked with here, okay?  You’re my best friend.  I wouldn’t lie about that”.  Max turns away, face red and mumbles inaudibly.  “What was that?”  David leans a little closer.

 

“I said,” he mumbles lowly again.  God, he is so fucked.

 

“Sorry?”

 

Max sighs.  “I said… you’re… my best friend too.  Okay?  You are”.

 

David grins so brightly Max wishes he had his sunglasses back.  “Thank you, Max”.  He eases the arm up a bit more, moving slower when Max hisses through his teeth.  “Are you… really not happy here?” he asks softly.

 

Max groans.  “David-”

 

“No,” he replies firmly.  “I can handle the truth.  I have to stop ignoring problems, remember?”

 

Max turns his eyes to the ceiling.  “This isn’t exactly Disney World, but… no.  It’s not  _ that _ bad, but I’m not exactly leaping out of bed in the morning, you know?  If it makes you feel better though, you make this place suck  _ way _ less”.

 

David grins brightly, eyes hopeful.  “Aw, Max!  Do you mean it?”

 

“Yeah, dude.  You’re, like, the best thing about this giant fucking dumpster fire.  I always thought you knew that”.  Max replies with a scoff.  “I can’t really get how you’d always be so happy otherwise”.

 

A loud pop cracks the room, and Max screeches.  His arm that had been slowly pulled and eased up finally slipping back into the socket.  “Oh, fuck!  Christ on a boat, shit, fucking HELL!”

 

“There it goes,” David replies pleasantly.  “How’s that?  Can you move it?”

 

Max tries evening his breathing with deep breaths.  “Give me a minute, damn you,” he pants.  Slowly, he rolls the arm and winces slightly as he feels the muscles flex and bend as they shift back into place.  He slowly extends the arm and opens and closes his fingers a few times like a starfish.  “Yeah.  I’m fine… Thanks”.

 

David smiles and gives him a hand up.  “It wasn’t a problem!  I’m really sorry I startled you off the roof, Max”.

 

Max shakes his head.  “Doesn’t matter.  Lesson fucking learned: don’t go on the roof when David has a megaphone”.

 

“-And don’t use a megaphone when someone’s on the roof,” David finishes.

 

Max chuckles.  “Sure, if that’s what you got out of it.  Damn, that hurt like a motherfucker”.

 

David sighs and picks up a wet wipe.  “I should take care of that cut on your forehead,” he trails off, ripping the packaging open, and motioning Max forward with a finger.

 

Max slides off the table carefully.  “You don’t have to do that, I can take it from here”.

 

David shakes his head.  “It’s fine, I may as well start trying to fix things instead of ignoring them, right?” he says with a ruffled tone.

 

Max flinches away from the touch, before allowing the wet wipe.  His face twitches at the slight sting.  “I’m a real piece of shit, aren’t I?”

 

David shakes his head.  “No, don’t apologize!  I mean, yes, you can be very mean but you’re also honest.  You don’t beat around the bush, and you say exactly what you mean,” he replies, uncapping a tube of ointment.  “You aren’t fake nice so you won’t hurt my feelings, or lie to protect me.  It’s nice being around someone so unapologetic about who they are, you know?”

 

“Well, it’s certainly weird being around someone that gives a shit”.  He eyes David out of his periphery, as David turns his head to the side by his chin.  His lip twitches when the redhead’s thumb brushes his stubble.  “How come you stick around here?  I know you said it was the first place you thought to go, but...?”

 

David frowns.  “Well…  This place meant so much to me as a kid, I just wanted other kids to have the same kind of fun I did, and I like it.  I like working with kids.  And I’m good at it.  Usually, anyway.  The camp’s not doing so well lately, but usually I’m really, really good at it”.  David’s brow knits in concern.  “I’m doing the best I can, sorting out the budget since Mr. Campbell’s been sent to prison, but I’m worried it’s not going to be enough, someday”.

 

Max is silent a moment as David bites his lip in worry.  “You’ll figure it out.  I know you can.  David always picks himself back up,” he says seriously before he can stop himself.  He flinches when David’s eyes meet his, the redhead’s jaw dropping in surprise.  He looks to the wall, beating himself mentally.  “Annoyingly enough,” he huffs.

 

Max hears David clear his throat after a moment, and then feels something stick to his face.  “There!  Ta-da!  All better!”

 

“Took you long enough,” he grumbled, glancing David’s way to find him smiling sweetly.

 

David points to Max’s half of the cabin.  “Now.  You go rest!” he says, slapping the table with each syllable for emphasis.  “You aren’t doing anything else today but taking a breather!  And I want you taking it easy the next few days, too.  Nothing too strenuous or overexerting yourself.  I want you healed up quick so we can get back to having some summer fun!”

 

Max grumbles, making his way over to the bed and carefully arranges himself on the bed.  “Yeah, whatever.  Turn the lights off on your way out”.

 

“Oki-dokey!”  He hears David walk to the door, before pausing with the door open.  “...Max?”

 

“What?” he groans.

 

“You’re…  You could be really good at this I think.  Being a counselor, I mean.  If you tried.  The kids love you, and I know you don’t hear them talk, but they think you’re the greatest,” David say and Max feels his heart clench in his chest.  He shouldn’t get attached.  “This could be fun for you if you’d let it be.  Will you please try?  For me?”

 

Max breathes deeply, pulling the air through his lungs mechanically.  “...I’ll think about it,” he replies numbly.

 

“Thank you, Max.  You won’t regret it!” he hears David cheer.

 

“Whatever,” Max grumbles and closes his eyes.  He hears the light switch flick off, and David’s footsteps fade.  Distantly, he hears the kids chatter and tries to ignore it.  He rubs the heel of his hands into his eye sockets, pressing until he sees stars.   _ What did you get yourself into? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday the 13th in October everyone! I'm celebrating by watching spooky movies. 
> 
> What are you guys doing to celebrate Jason's holiday? Tell me in the comments and what you thought about the chapter. You all are being so wonderful, thank you so much!


	4. The Tower, XVI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a long way down. 
> 
>  
> 
> (ft. domestic Davey and Max)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm trying to work on a regular schedule. Thank you for your patience, and also thank you for the nice comments! THey really are lovely!
> 
> Please note the tags!!! They are really going to come into play in this chapter, so skip the scene if you are uncomfortable!!

Max sighed In the washroom, waiting for the clothes to finish washing.  He sniffed the newly stolen shirt under his hoodie and settled back down to pick his knitting back up.  Knitting had always been a pleasant experience for him.  It was one of the few times he could shut his brain off, the repetition of simple stitches a seamless formula in his brain.  He’d had a problem for a while with having too many plushies in his house, before Niki’s girlfriend, Nerris, had offered to take them when she went to volunteer at the children’s hospital every few months.  

 

He sighed and checked his phone.  No messages.  At least they’d stopped trying to call him.  As much as it made his chest tighten, he knew he was doing what was best for himself.

 

Max continued to knit with hard rap in his ears, and shifts on the washer.  He hisses, a lightning bolt shooting down his spine, and looks down unhappily.  “Oh come the fuck on,” he grunts in annoyance.

 

He grumbles, and votes to ignore the feeling.  He crosses his legs and continues to knit.  His pants chafed his thighs, forcing a whine from his throat.  “Fucking fine!  You win!” he grumbles, and tossed his needles on the floor with the rest of his half-finished plush.

 

He brought his hand down and squeezed himself through his pants.  He hadn’t rubbed one out in a few days; David had been sticking close by almost all the time, even using the shower house at the same time as him (the echo in there was astounding, and while by himself would have been nice, he had a feeling David would still hear him, even with the redhead _was_ singing loudly along to the radio).

 

He rubs harshly against his pants, breath coming in sharp huffs as he dips his hand under his the clothes to rake his nails along his stomach.  His muscles twitched as he hisses out a small curse.  He hastily slipped the hand under his waistband to palm himself through the thin cloth of his underwear, groaning quietly.  He shifted his weight to the front of his thighs where his calves hung off the machine, the vibrations buzzing through his pants as he tried to imagine a hand that wasn’t his own.  

 

Then, he made the biggest mistake he could have.  

 

His head fell forward with a gasp, his nose dipping down as he bit his hoodie to muffle his gasps and accidentally pulled David’s shirt into his mouth as well.  He moans, the sharp tang of sweat on his tongue.  

 

God, what was wrong with him?  He ruts into his hand, muffled moans streaming from the fabric between his teeth.  He releases the fabric from his mouth, and instead uses his other hand to pull the shirt up from his chest, holding it to his nose and breathing like the scent would save his life.  His hand felt too harsh and unwanted, the faceless idea of a person in his head changing to soft palms with little scars on the back, pink knuckles, and dirty fingernails.  He panted, his brain screeching _this isn’t a good idea_.  

 

He inhaled deeply, the weight of his hoodie and the scent offering sanctuary.  David’s little laugh on the beach comes to his mind unbidden, leaving him rutting into his hand harshly.  He moans into the fabric, the little vibrations against him leaving his thighs quivering.  He whimpers in need, remembering the feeling of David’s hand on his back and the way his body hissed at the touch and curled in on itself.  The fond look on David’s face when he held his hand during movie nights after a long day of dealing with pain-in-the-ass kids.

 

He found himself wondering again what it might feel like to have David’s arms around him, squeezing his shoulders in a hug.  He wondered if he’d ever be able to withstand it, the way his body flinched away from any touch.  He concentrated on the weight and warmth of his hoodie, breathing in the familiar scent of the redhead’s shirt again and whimpered, his hips bucking.   _Don’t take things you haven’t earned, Maxwell_.  He growled, rutting into his hand rebelliously.

 

Then, another, more familiar and gentle voice whispered from the back of his memory.

 

_‘You’re a good person, Max’._

 

He imagined the redhead’s arms around him, a small comfort that he knew he’d never get, and came harder than he ever had in his life.  

 

His head rolled back against the cool stone wall as he let out a muffled cry and ground his hips against his hand, squeezing the sticky fabric between his fingers.  He whimpered, as he slowly came down from the high.  Then began to recognize what he’d done, the shirt still against his nose.  He tore his hoodie off his back and flung the green cotton shirt to the other side of the room like it was full of venomous snakes.  He heaved clear air through his lungs, gasping desperately and digging his fingers into the cold, unforgiving concrete blocks of the wall.   _I came in my pants to the idea of hugging someone._

 

_I came in my pants to the idea of hugging David._

 

Max felt like his ribcage was collapsing.  He brought his hand to his mouth, the taste of David’s sweat still burning the tip of his tongue.  God, what was he doing?  Why did he have to make this into something _weird_ ?  It was just a thing that calmed him down before, why did he have to think about someone he lived with constantly like _that_?  It raised a question too:  Was he into David?

 

Well, he just came in his pants to the idea of the guy hugging him, so yeah, Max thought it was safe to say so.

 

He had no idea what to do about this.  Obviously, he had no chance of getting someone like David.  Come on, the guy was out of his league.  He didn’t even know if the guy was even into other men.  He’d seen the guy’s ex-girlfriend before, an extremely feminine and tall woman that wore muscle tanks with (honestly really great) sexual phrases on them, and hot pink, perfectly manicured fingernails on the end of arms that could lift a semi.

 

Max’s stomach churned, looking at the shirt on the floor.  He didn’t feel comfortable putting it back on, but the thought of not having it felt like losing a friend.  He steeled himself.  No, he’d have to do this.  It wasn’t fair.  He couldn’t just take David’s shit to jerk off to him like those thoughts were his to have.  

 

It wasn’t right to put something like that on David, especially without him knowing.

 

So he hastily picked up the shirt, and dropped it in the washer with the rest of the clothes, and let the washer finish before he could change his mind.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The rest of the week had been hell.

 

He felt awful, unable to sleep without his… _David’s_ … stolen shirt.  The bed felt empty almost, without the smell of pine sap and sweat.  His skin crawled each time David turned to smile at him and pulled away more often than not when David tried to touch him.  It felt wrong, and like he was stealing something precious.  His body felt tight, like a rubber band about to snap.  Not to mention anytime he tried to sleep a weird scratching came from under the floorboards like something was chewing the wood or sharpening claws.  He hoped it wasn’t the opossums again.  David had been unbearable after getting his rabies shots.

 

Even the kids noticed his change in behavior, steering clear of Max’s normally resting-bitch-face that had turned brooding and genuinely pissed off.  They were hesitant to ask anything of him, and even David noticed the lack of smartass comments, Max choosing instead one-word confirmations or angry insults.

 

“Max?  Can I talk to you in private for a moment, please?” David called from the front of the trail.

 

“Oooooh, Max got in trouble!” sneered Tabitha.

 

“Shut it, Karate Kid,” he growled, making his way up to the front.  They were just about to leave, what did he want?

 

“For the last fucking time: _it’s Taekwondo!_ ” Tabitha screeched, Randy-san patting her shoulder.

 

He grumpily stalked up to David.  “What?”

 

David tries to take his arm, but Max shrugs him off immediately.  “ _Do not fucking touch me,_ ” he hisses, feeling a twinge of regret at David’s stricken face, who pulls his hands to his chest.  Max glares to the ground.   _Way to go, asshole.  Get your shit together._  “Sorry,” he mumbles, stuffing his arms into his sweatshirt pockets.

 

David gives an encouraging smile that twists guilt further into his gut.  “It’s fine!  That’s actually what I wanted to talk about,” he says soothingly, waving his hand forward, away from the campers.  For a moment, Max feels a sharp thrill of fear slice through his stomach, emptying it to a pit.  Did he find out about the shirts?  He didn’t see how he could have, there was no one at the washroom, and it had no windows, so it couldn’t be possible…  David took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair, his cowlick hair springing back to its previous position.  Max wondered how it did that naturally.  “I’m… worried about you”.

 

Max stared, stunned at the redhead, who had a hand on the back of his neck, rubbing.  David’s green eyes stared soulfully into his own.  “What?  What the hell do you mean?”

 

David sighed.  “You’ve been acting really strange lately.  You seem really stressed out, and I’m worried.  Did something happen?”

 

_‘You’re a good person, Max’._

 

“No, I’m just… stressed.  I haven’t been sleeping too good.  Fucking arm is really uncomfortable to lay on,” he says, mouth full of cotton.  That was at least somewhat true, his arm had been aching in the chilly weather.  He makes sure to look David in the eyes, though it’s hard.

 

David sighs and pulls a set of keys from his shorts, holding them out to Max.  “Here.  Take a quick nap and then, why don’t you go into town?  I’ll cover for you, so don’t worry.  We’ll be in the woods all day”.  He smiles, jingling the keys at him.

 

Max hesitates, before taking the keys.  The slight of David’s fingers against his palm sends him shivering.  “Are you sure?  I don’t need you to baby me, you know”.

 

David waves a hand.  “Don’t you worry a bit!  We’ll be _fine_!” he replies with a grin.  “But you need rest!  Go on!  I won’t take no for an answer!”  He makes a shooing motion with his hands, a playful expression on his face.

 

It makes Max chuckle despite himself.  “Yeah… yeah okay.  Do you want me to pick anything up while I’m out?”

 

David squeals in excitement.  “Ooh!  Get me a Wolf Wash!”

 

“A what?”

 

David makes a few motions with his hands, smiling adorably.  “It’s a kind of soda I really like!  They sell it at the party store!  Please?” he asks, pouting like a pleading puppy.

 

Max huffs.  “Fine.  I’ll get a couple”.

 

David shifts around.  “And… maybe a few movies?  The kids will be going home in a few weeks…  We’ll have a lot more time to ourselves after that”.

 

He hums.  It’s true, the kids will be gone.  He’ll be alone here with David.  For months.  Until spring, at the very least, when troops of scouts would rent the cabins out.  “Sure.  Oh, by the way: I heard some weird scratching under the floorboards again.  I think we got another raccoon infestation if you want to check that out while I’m gone.  See you later”.

 

David gulps nervously.  “Again?  W-well, alright, I’ll do my best to clear them out...  Bye Max!” David calls, a few of the kids calling their goodbyes too.  He gives a backward wave as he walks away, slipping the keys into his pocket.  He searches around a moment for his cigarettes, before remembering he smoked the last of them after the volleyball camp debacle.  Man, Liz sure could hit hard.  That kid was going places for sure.  One more thing to get, he supposed.

 

He opened the door to the counselor's’ cabin and sank into his bed.  He didn’t think he’d be able to get any sleep, but just in case, set an alarm for two hours later.  He gave a heavy sigh, and stared at the ceiling, before turning onto his side to face David’s half of the cabin.  

 

A little corkboard with photos hung next to his bed, most of them being yearly shots of David with a different troop of unenthused campers each picture.  A few posters with different native animal, plant, and bird species hung straight along the walls.  Max remembers moving them to be slightly crooked every time he passed, and David moving them back every five seconds, cursing the ‘bad tape’.  His eyes fell to David’s bed, neat and tidy with a soft green comforter with a Paisley pattern.

 

 _No,_ he thought to himself, tightening his fist on his own bedspread.   _You are not doing that.  You’re not smelling anything else of his for your spank bank, you fucking creep._

 

He turns on his side and tries to will himself to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

He wakes up to his phone screeching his ringtone a couple hours later feeling a bit better.  He’s still tired, but he feels a little better at the very least.  Good enough to go into town.

 

He brushes a hand through his hair and gets in the camp car.  He shuffles through the tapes in the glove compartment (it didn’t have a CD player).  “Jesus, doesn’t this guy listen to anything other than Farmer’s Almanacs of the 80s?!” he grumbles, pushing some around before a tape catches his eye.  “Oh shit, what do we have here?  Actual music?” he mutters, pulling the tape up to see better.   _Holy shit, who knew the Boy Scout liked punk?_  “Good album too,” he mutters pushing the tape in and grinning wide as The Clash hollers their introduction.

 

Max ends up listening to the tape over, on the way back to camp, smoking a camel with the windows down and scarfing down a pack of pretzels.  He’d picked up the Wolf Wash and a few other things like necessities, and by the time he came back, he felt a little better.

 

He kicked the door closed, pulling the groceries out with him.  

 

“Those will kill you, you know,” a voice calls as soon as he gets inside.  David was sitting up in bed with a book cradled in his hands by his bedside lamp, his hair hidden under his ridiculous sleeping cap.

 

Max grimaced, remembering he was still breathing the smoke.  Wordlessly, he puts it out on the doorframe and drops the butt into the trash.  He watches David wince with some amusement.  “I got that stuff you wanted, and picked up your useless fucking deodorant”.

 

“I don’t want cancer Max!” he says huffing.  “Antiperspirants aren’t good for you!”

 

Max groans in frustration.  “What are you, a suburban white mom that does vegan yoga and sends her kids to gluten-free school?  That shit’s not real”.  He pulls the bottles of soda out of the bags and dumps the bag full of David’s shit on his lap.  David gives a small whine, clearly upset.  

 

“Well, I’m allergic anyways!  They make me itch!” the redhead huffs from his post.  “Anyways, I checked under the cabin, and I didn’t see anything, but the wood did have some claw marks.  I set up the traps again just in case it comes back, alright?”

 

Max hums in acknowledgment.  “The hell is so great about Wolf Wash anyway?” he asks, turning the bottle in his hands and examining the sunglasses-donning mascot.  “This wolf looks like it’s about to offer me some molly it got from 2004”.

 

“It’s produced locally!  I like supporting local businesses!” David defends.

 

“Well, how about you support my ass?”

 

“Language!”

 

“Fuck off”.  He shuffles some of the shit around in the bathroom, before going back to his bed, and pulling off his shoes and socks.

 

“Heading to bed?” asks David, marking his place with a sticky note and tucking his book away.

 

“Yeah.  I’m going to try anyway”.  He pulls the covers up.

 

David flicks the light out, and he hears the other shuffle down.  “Goodnight, Max!  See you in the morning!” calls into the dark room.  Outside, an owl hoots and the trees bend in the summer wind.

 

“‘Night,” he calls back, folding his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.  He pauses a moment, laying on his bed and listening to his roommate's steady breathing.  “David?”

 

There’s a rustle, and he can see David turned on his side to face him.  “Yes, Max?”

 

Max bites his lip.  “Thanks.  I…  Just… thanks”.

 

David’s chuckles fill the empty air, full of fondness that makes Max shiver.  Guilt twists his stomach.  “No problem, Max.  Go to sleep”.

 

“...Don’t tell me what to do”.

 

David chuckles.  “Okay, Max”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and tell me how you feel after reading!


	5. Life's Alright In Devil Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> slice of life chapter. i needed something wholesome to cleanse me from the masturbation scene.
> 
>  
> 
> (Title is taken from Cavetown's song "Devil Town", one of my favorites.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, yes, hello, thank you so much for your support! Your comments really do make my day!
> 
> Special shout out to foxxzz, beg_for_forgiveness, FrizzleFry, and River_T_h_am_es for consistently leaving advice and comments about what they did and didn't like.

Max took the week as it came.  He tried to be better for the kids, but if anyone ever asked, it was only because he was relieved to finally get some alone time again.  Put in a little effort.  Give them a little praise when they pulled off tasks.  A little “You can do it, squirt!” here and there.  It wasn’t as hard as he made it out to be, but he wasn’t about to let David know that.  It was a useful distraction, if nothing else.

 

The change was almost instantaneous.  Suddenly, the kids started coming to him when they fucked up for help, or when they got hurt.  Randy in particular clung to Max’s pant leg like an attention starved leech.  David would just get this watery look in his eye that Max was definitely not comfortable with being aimed at him anytime he helped out even the slightest.  It was strange, being wanted by little things that were too dumb to take care of themselves yet.  It was a peculiar feeling, and Max wasn’t sure he liked it.  It was certainly tiring, though at least he didn’t have the leisure of his thoughts wandering.

 

“Kid, you okay?” he asks a fallen Randy, who’s rubbing his ankle in annoyance.

 

The kid frowns and rolls it with a wince.  “I’m okay, Sensei.  It hurts, though,” he says standing up.  He’s noticeably keeping his weight off the foot.

 

“Do you think we’ll have to cut it off?” he asks awkwardly with a quirked brow.  “I’ve got a hacksaw in the shed”.

 

Randy-san gets a glimmer in his eye.  “Will I be able to get automail if I do?”

 

“I have no idea what that is, so… no”.

 

“Then, no”.

 

Max frowns.  “Do you want me to tell David you don’t have to participate tomorrow?  I’m sure he’ll listen if you say you’re hurt; he’s annoyingly sentimental like that,” he says, watching the kid’s eyes widen.

 

“Y-yeah!  Thank you, Sensei!” the kid cheers, bowing awkwardly.

 

“Sure, just quit doing that,” he says, seeing David wave him over.  “See ya, Ninja Kid,” he murmurs.  He makes his way over, before sitting down on the table, his feet on the bench.  “What?”

 

“You’re getting pretty good at that,” David says quietly with a smile.  “I’m proud of you”.

 

Max groans.  “Ugh, shut up.  This doesn’t even matter.  Soon he’s going to go home and forget about us and nothing will change,” he grumbles, though his heart squeezes a bit at the thought.  “This is pointless”.

 

David frowns.  “Well, maybe, but you’ve made today better.  Isn’t that a start?”

 

Max shrugs and looks down to the bracelet taped to the table.  “What’s that?”

 

David grins.  “Hold on I’m almost done!” he replies, covering it with his hands.

 

Max huffs and turns away to look at the other kids.  “Never mind, I don’t care”.

 

David just grins and knots a few more strings.  “Okay!  Now look!” he says triumphantly, holding the strip of woven fabric up.  It’s a long, thick strand of fabric.  Squinting, the mesh of colors looks like a dusky skyline with little pine trees.  It was complicated looking, and Max had a hard time thinking about the hours it must have taken David to complete it.  “It’s a bracelet!  I made it for you!  Do you like it?”  He asks eagerly.  

 

Max fights to keep his frown.  “It’s not as shitty as it could be”.

 

David’s grin widens.  “You like it!”

 

Max grumbles, his frown turning into a grimace.  “I didn’t say that”.

 

“You didn’t need to!”  David wiggles like an excited puppy receiving praise.  “Do you want me to put it on you?”

 

Max cringes at the thought of David’s hands anywhere near his again.  “No, I got it,” he mumbles, taking it.  He struggles to knot the two ends together, the strands slipping from his fingers annoyingly.

 

“Max, do you-”

 

Max thrusts his hand into David’s in frustration.  “Fine.  Help”.  David wordlessly ties the ends of the strip together, smiling softly.  He finishes with a final tie, his fingers lingering on Max’s palm a moment.  Max winces and pulls away, disguising his actions as examining the piece closer.  “Thanks.  I guess.  Don’t expect one back, though”.

 

David smiled.  “Oh, don’t worry about it.  I have a lot of them, and besides, you should get one to commemorate your first year as a counselor!  I still have mine!” he says, pulling a worn strand of fabric with a busted end out of his pocket.  It’s a string of green, yellow, and a tan-ish color that may have been white at one point in a simple straight pattern.

 

Max fiddles with the bracelet, David’s fingers leaving a ghost of a feeling imprinted into his skin.  “Yeah, well thanks”.

 

David smiles and doesn’t complain when Max pushes his bag of lace off the table.  Randy gives a hoot of amusement from the other table, and he can’t stop himself from cackling when he smacks Patty’s lace off the table.

  


* * *

 

  


“Sensei?” asks Randy from the bench next to him.

 

“Yeah?” he answers, watching a penalty play out.  He doesn’t blow his whistle.  David catches the intentional mistake instead, giving Max a disapproving look.

 

“Are you going to be here next year?” asks the kid in a small voice.

 

Max pauses but doesn’t take his eyes off the flag football.  “Yeah, I’m staying.  Why do you ask?”

 

“I think I want to come back next year,” he says, much to Max’s surprise.

 

“Why?  This place blows,” he questions, looking down to the kid finally.

 

Randy nods in agreement.  “Yeah.  The food’s shitty and gross, and the showers suck major ass, but I don’t know.  I still had fun.  Kinda?  I mean, yeah, we did stupid bullshit camp stuff, and I would have liked to be able to finish a few series, but… It was a nice way to wait out a few hiatuses too”.  The kid fiddles with his track jacket thoughtfully.  “I just wanted to make sure Sensei would still be here for when I came back”.

 

Max feels his throat tighten.  “You’re not worried David won’t be here?”

 

Randy laughs.  “Does David-sama even know other places exist?”

 

“That’s true,” Max concedes.  “Look, kid,” he says, biting his lip.  “Don’t come back for me.  If you want to come back, do it because you want to.  If you start doing everything for other people you’ll never do anything for yourself”.

 

“N-nani?  Isn’t that selfish?” the kid asks in shock.

 

Max shrugs.  “If you can only make one person happy, it’s okay to make that person you.  Maybe that is selfish, but no one else is your responsibility.  You don’t owe them anything.  Sometimes you have to take charge of your own happiness”.

 

He hears a sniffle and turns to see the kid staring up at him with watery admiration in his big brown eyes.  He brings an arm up to cover his tears.  “SENSEI IS SO WISE!”

 

Max turns away, cheeks flushing.  “You made it weird.  Quit fucking crying”.

 

“SORRY, SENSEI!”

 

Max checks his phone.  He has a missed call.  He puts it back into his pocket and watches David laugh weightlessly on the field with a stone in his gut.

  


* * *

 

  


“Okay, kids!  Today, we are going to practice our knot tying!” David says, all smiles as he flips through his clipboard.

 

“What?  Lame,” Tabitha says, crossing her arms.

 

David puts his hands on his hips, grinning nervously.  “Aw, come on!  It’ll be plenty fun!  Besides, Max won’t be here with me and this is one of the few activities that I can do without him!”

 

“Well, why isn’t he going to be with us?” Patty replies, crossing her arms in annoyance.  “I wanted to finish my oil painting today”.

 

David’s grin strains, his eye twitching.  Max smirks from his position at his side.  “Well, that’s because I’m checking the traps David set up.  So, if you _want_ to help me find potentially ravenous and pissed off raccoons, you’re welcome to join me,” he says with a sneer.  “Any takers?”

 

“I WILL GO WITH SENSEI ON THIS QUEST FOR ENLIGHTENMENT!” shouts Randy from the back, raising his hand.

 

“Loving that enthusiasm, Ninja Kid!” exclaims David gesturing the kid to stand next to Max.  “Anyone else?”

 

“Yeah, I’ll bite”.  Liz says with a step forward.

 

“Really?  What for?” asks Patty from her side.

 

“I like wrestling animals.  And raccoons are cute,” she replies with a shrug.  “Are you coming too?”

 

Patty shakes her head.  “No way!  I’m going to see if I can find a way to incorporate these into my paintings,” she says thoughtfully.  “Do you know any knots, Tanner?”

 

Tanner snorts, brushing his sandy hair from his eyes.  “‘Do I know any knots,’ she asks.  Yeah, Pat, I know knots.  I’m only in boating camp for shit’s sake”.

 

“Anyone else?” Max asks.  “No?  Good.  If we don’t come back, we might have been killed,” he calls with a smirk, walking off.  “Come on, kids.  Anything to get away from David, right?”

 

David fans his tearful eyes.  “I am so proud right now!  There’s so much friendship going on right now!  Don’t worry, Max!  Team David will be A-OK!”

 

“Ew”.  Liz curls her lip and pulls her red hair back in a ponytail.  “Are you sure I didn’t sign up for ‘disillusionment with humanity camp’?”.

 

Max snorts and puts his hands in his pockets.  “You’re twelve, how do you even know what that word means?”

 

Liz falls into pace beside him, Ninja Kid trotting ahead.  “I read a lot.  I have to keep up my English grade if I want to join varsity volleyball”.

 

“So, Sensei!  What terrifying beast will we fight today?  A yokai?” asks Randy from the front, doing a backflip off a tree.

 

“What?  No, we’re just checking for raccoons.  I’m mostly just trying to get away from David.  He’s been all over me since I fell off the roof”.  He kicks a stone into the bushes, startling a bird.  “I swear, I can’t piss without him trying to hover over my shoulder”.

 

Liz snorts.  “Yeah, he did feel bad about that…  So where are we going anyway?”

 

“Counselor’s cabin.  Something’s sharpening its claws on the wood,” he says with a sharp grin.  “Better watch your step, or it’ll chew your ankles off for fun”.

 

Randy falters in his step.  “O-oh.  Well, I’m not- I’m never scared of the unknown!  That’s my ninja way!”

 

Liz smacks him over the head, his nervousness quickly replaced with annoyance.  “No way.  If anyone’s fighting a ‘coon it’s going to be me!  I want to punch it in its stupid, cute face!”

 

Max sighs.  “If we’re lucky we won’t have to fight anything.  It should just be in the traps”.  He bends around, checking a trap in the bushes.  He hoists it up, revealing itself to be empty.  The bait was still there.  “Damn.  Nothing”.

 

He shuffles the trap back into the bushes, and navigates around to the other, near the entrance of the porch.  “I got it!” yells Ninja Kid, who sprints forward and hurls the cage up.  “Shit!” he screeches, fumbling.

 

“Randy, drop it!” he yells, seeing a flash of brown dart around in the cage.  A loud hiss permeates the air with hostility.

 

“Oh, god it smells!  That’s so rank!” gags Liz.

 

“Yeah, it smells like your mom’s underwear after I’m done with her!”

 

“Here’s an idea: shut the hell up, Ninja of the Hidden Fuck!”

 

“Both of you, shut the fuck up!” Max bellows, the kids falling silent.  “It’s fine!  We’ve got it, let’s just go find a clearing or something”.  He grabs the cage, hoisting it to eye level.  The raccoon stares with wide-eyed fear, chubby body heaving with each breath.  It was definitely terrified, unaware of what was about to happen to it.  Max didn’t feel too bad, at least he knew he wasn’t going to eat it or anything.  They’d probably just let it go somewhere where it could get eaten by bears, just as nature intended.

 

“I’m kinda glad you didn’t wrestle it,” muttered Randy, looking over at the raccoon, turning frantically in its trap.

 

“Why?  Because it would have bitten Liz’s face off?  That’s empathetic of you, I would have just pulled out the video camera”.  That’s a lie.  Max would have gotten fired for sure if that happened.  He would have at least tried to separate them, for his paycheck’s sake.

 

“Well yeah, but it just looks really scared even though we’re helping him,” Randy replies, peering at the trapped animal sadly.  “He probably thinks we’ll hurt him.  But we aren’t right?  We’re just letting him go somewhere he’ll be safe?” the kid turns his woeful eyes on Max.

 

Max sighs, his lips pressed together in a thin line.  “Yeah, we’re just going to let it go.  Don’t get your panties in a twist.  Besides,” Max says with a sharp grin.  “I don’t know how to cook ‘coon”.

 

“Aw, what?!”  Liz whines, frowning as she pulls her hair out of her ponytail.  “Can’t you learn?  Now I want to know what it tastes like…”

 

“Ew, gross!” Randy replies, crinkling his nose in disgust.  “It probably has worms and shit!  Besides, who would kill it?   _You?_ ”

 

“Absolutely,” she says, without hesitation.  “My dad and me go hunting every year for buck season.  Give me a crossbow and I’ll do it.  I bet I could figure out how to clean it, it’s probably not that different”.  She stares at the raccoon intently, an oddly blank yet focused look on her face.

 

“Jesus, you’re creepy,” mumbles Ninja Kid, rubbing his arms.

 

“What, you don’t like eating?” she sneers.

 

“No, that’s not it!  I just don’t like hurting animals myself!”

 

“Oh, but you’ll kick Brandon in the knees?”

 

Randy-san huffs, puffing his chest.  “Duh, Brandon’s an asshole that dumped Patty’s tray on her!  A raccoon isn’t capable of cruelty like humans are!  Sensei, back me up!  I’m your kohai!”

 

Max shrugs, jostling the cage.  The raccoon shrieks in fear.  “Eh, I don’t really care about that.  Hunting’s just really boring.  I went one year with my friend Niki, and it sucked”.  He laughed remembering.  How Niki had managed to get a permit to own a hunting rifle he’d never known.  “She almost shot the truck trying to hit this one buck.  At least she got it in the end, but I then I got poison oak the next day.  The year after I just bribed my neighbor for some venison the next year instead”.

 

“Lazy,” mocks Liz.

 

Max steps on her heel petulantly, watching her stumble with satisfaction.

 

Letting the raccoon go is the easy part.  The thing immediately sprints off into the woods and climbs into a hollow log.  Max sighs to himself and walks the bickering kids back to the campgrounds.  

 

They’ll be going home soon.  Max didn’t think he’d find himself giving a fuck, but here he was: giving many a fuck.  How did this even happen?  Damn it, caring about people sucked.  All it was was a promise to one day break your own heart, and Max refused repeatedly to be the one with the broken remains.  

 

Max sighs when gets back from the shower house that night, washing off the day’s grime.  The camp is going to feel empty with no one but him and David there.  Alone.

 

That’s right, he’ll be alone with David again.  His stomach turns at the thought.  He’d managed just fine before in the spring, but he’d disliked David then; and he’d been trying to collect himself then too, more pressing things on his mind.  There had been the looming threat of kids coming, and both of them scrambling to get ready too.

 

Max pulls on a nightshirt.  “...You were right,” he says reluctantly.

 

David looks up from his writing to look at him.  “About what?” he asks.

 

“I will never speak of it again,” he replies, getting under the covers and giving a hostile stare.

 

“What?  No!  What was I right about?” David whines in alarm.  “Max!  Tell me!”

 

“Goodnight, David”.

 

“Max!” David whines behind him.  Max smirks and closes his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll never be able to tell me that David isn't a friendship bracelet GOD. I made so many of those at girl scout camp. 
> 
> I had way too much fun writing Randy's weeb-speak.
> 
> Please tell me your theories, questions, or even just "love these idiots".


	6. Smoke Stings The Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teenagers are fucking annoying, but you can't lock them in the latrines, Max.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So idk if anyone here actually knows what a latrine is? It's not really a common word. Latrines are sort of like outhouses, but a bit more modern. And by that, I mean they're deeper and the seats are made of concrete. You still worry a spider will crawl up your ass though. They were at my girl scout camp, and were pretty scary at 2am when you're in the middle of nowhere. I'm kinda basing Camp Campbell off my old scout camp just for reference, so to be clear: they don't have flushing toilets, but they DO have shower houses.

“You’re too soft on them, you idiot”.

 

Redhead.  Flat chested.  Max leered at the magazine.  The photography really was terrible.  The lighting was off and an unflattering tint.  Thank god technology improved from the 80s.  He wouldn’t even be flipping through if the internet wasn’t out.  His thoughts wandered carelessly through his head.

 

David sighs.  Max turns the page.  “I don’t know.  I just don’t feel comfortable with that sort of thing, Max!  Summer camp is supposed to be for fun!  Do you think I was too harsh on him, Max?”

 

Max looks up with a cocked eyebrow as David paced worriedly.  “Not harsh enough, idiot.  You only took his desert away for a week”.  He wondered what he should make for breakfast tomorrow.  It was his turn.  Maybe David would let him get away with just letting the kids make cereal for themselves.  He hoped it wouldn’t end in another war over the Lucky Charms.

 

“I thought it was very fair,” David defends, throwing his hands up.

 

“He set the kitchen on fire, David”.

 

“We caught it before it burned down!”

 

Max sighs, opening the centerfold.  Another redhead.  Large hips.  Freckles across the nose and back, her eyes half closed in a cheap, sultry manner.  He looked up at David, then back at the picture.  “Yeah, and what if we didn’t?  Look, it doesn’t matter; little shit has to learn one way or another he can’t pull this bullshit and get away with it,” he sneers.   _Wonder if the carpet matches the drapes._  “I think you should’ve made Tanner eat a couple of those big ass beetles we keep finding in the latrines.  Better yet, drop him in one and leave him there for the day”.

 

David whimpers, ruffling his hair.  “I can’t do that!  It wouldn’t be right!  I’m not tough enough for punishing kids, Max!”

 

Max rolled the porn mag (circa 87) up tightly, and backhanded it across David’s face with a brisk smack.  “ _Can’t_ is _Won't's_ bitch _!_ ” he snaps, feeling his annoyance rise and allowing himself a moment to stand eye to eye with the taller man.  David lets out a noise like a balloon releasing air out from a small hole, and slowly turned with a strange look on his face.  “You’re going to do this because you _have_ to!  If you don’t stand up to him now, he’s just going to push you around until he pushes you off a cliff!  I don’t even give a shit about any of this, but if he pushes you around enough he might try something with me, and we don’t have the budget to hire enough lawyers for what I might do”.

 

“I… I…” David stuttered, hand moving to his red cheek.

 

“David, I am telling you right now:  If you don’t make it clear to him he can’t pull this shit again, then I’ll talk to him; and you really won’t like what happens then.  He can’t treat us like this”.  Max glowered and unrolled the magazine again.  “I refuse to let him cut in on my quiet time!”

 

He flipped a few pages forward.  He crinkled his nose.  Ugh.  Blondes.  He walked back to his bed, David stuttering behind him.  “Gosh darn it, you’re right Max!”

 

Max looked up in surprise.  “You’re really going to lock him in a latrine?” he asks excitedly.

 

David looks at him, startled.  “What?  No!  I’m going to solve this _my_ way: with unconditional love and support!  I just need to be more firm, like you said!  Thank you, Max!” he says resolutely, and with that, he marches out the door.

 

Max shakes his head in disappointment.

 

 

  


* * *

 

  
  


He comes out of the cabin a few hours later to take a piss, when he sees David sobbing uncontrollably by Tanner.  He heaves a sigh, and walks over.  He grabs David by the arm and holds it up to see a switchblade has gone completely through the meat of the hand.  His lip curls.  “Alright, break it up.  David: get back to the cabin, I’ll patch you up.  Tanner,” he says as he pulls out the knife cleanly, forcing a screech from his co-counselor.  He turns to the blonde teen with his signature glare.  The kid’s grin froze on his face and he pales.  “I’ll deal with you later,” he snarls, his own grin like a broken window.

 

He followed David to the cabin, moving slow and steady.  When he get’s inside, David’s bawling greets him in a spectacularly loud fashion.  Max mutters a few curses to himself.  “Alright, what happened?” he asks, cleaning David’s hand and trying to keep his touch impersonal.

 

David sniffles, regulating his breathing in stutters.  “Well… I told Tanner I didn’t think he knew the effect he was having on the other campers…  T-Then I told him that i-if he was feeling angry he cou-could come talk to me if he wanted to… Then I offered him a hug… a-and then he stabbed m-me!” the redhead sobs.

 

“Jesus, you’re pathetic,” he grumbles, tying a bandage tightly around his hand and dropping it swiftly.

 

David whimpers, holding his bandaged hand sadly.  His eyes glistened with tears.  “I just don’t know what to do!  Nothing I try is working!”

 

“Ugh, you aren’t someone he’ll listen to, David,” he sneers, trying to think of a way for someone like David to understand.  “...He sees you and he thinks of all the bullshit society is forcing on kids.  He probably just feels stuck.  Be glad he wasn’t me,” Max says with an unattractive guffaw.  “When I was younger than him, I did way worse things.  One time, I found out my Economy teacher’s husband had a side chick, so I blackmailed him into giving me the answers to all the tests and worksheets, and then I told her anyways after I had them all.  And that’s just a drop in the bucket of shitty things I used to do,” he says with a sneer.  “This kid doesn’t have any penmanship”.

 

David sniffles, staring at his hand.  Then, he brightens instantly, a large grin on his face.  “That’s it, Max!  You’re a genius!”

 

Max leans away as David clutches Max’s shoulders, his face inches away.  The warmth from his hands seeping into Max’s clothes is unbearable, and Max shakes him away.  “I mean, yeah, but why are you stating this indisputable fact?” he says, forcing his tone out evenly.

 

David pats his cheeks, looking very much like one of those housewife’s in 60s sitcoms.  “You’re someone he respects!  You understand him!  You should be the one talking to him, not me!”

 

“Uh, no that’s not what I was saying,” he says, but David carries on.

 

“Of course!  He looks at me and sees someone who’s never had a bad thing happen to him in his life, and while that’s not true, telling him that won’t change his opinion of me.  Max, you have to do this; a young man’s quality of life is in jeopardy!” David says excitedly pacing, his arms frantically gesturing.

 

Max sighs, massaging his temples to try and keep calm.  “David: I get that you’re trying to help this kid, but I don’t think anything I say or do is going to matter to him.  He seems pretty hellbent on being an asshole, let’s just let him burn himself out, or go back to my original idea of locking him in the latrines”.

 

David grabs Max by the back of his head, holding him with both hands on either side of his face.  The feeling sends a thrill down his spine, the sweet warmth of David’s touch on his cheeks sent his stomach reeling, his hands instinctively grabbing onto the offending ones.  Green eyes stared into green, a suddenly somber expression crossing the redhead’s face as he looked into Max’s startled one.  “Max.  I know you can do this.  I have complete faith in you”.

 

Max shivers, reveling in the touch a moment before it became too much.  Max shoved David away.  “Alright, alright, Jesus.  I’ll talk to him.  Just… don’t do that again”.  He straightened his hoodie, turned around through the door, and left hurriedly.

 

  


* * *

 

  
  


“Start talking, kid”.

 

Tanner turns to see him.  He unties the rope holding a metal canoe to the dock and re-ties it without looking.  “Oh?” the blonde boy sneers.  “Did David send you out here to beat me because he’s too pussy to do it himself?”

 

Max snorts and sits down next to him, Tanner shrinking away in surprise.  “Oh please.  David’s a pussy, yeah, but he’s also annoyingly sentimental.  He’d tie me to the totem pole before he’d send me out here to beat a kid”.

 

The teen turns back to the knots.  “I guess you’re right.  So, why _do_ you think I’m doing this shit?”

 

“I don’t know.  Attention?  Your disenchantment with the world from being a teenager?  Because you just like violence?  Could be anything,” Max says, frowning.  “But whatever the issue is, you shouldn’t take it out on people like David that just want to help you”.  Max watches a pair of geese hassle a duck out of its spot, and begin eating its food.  Man, geese are jerks.  “I know David is really dumb and says a lot of bullshit-”  Tanner snorts.  “but he’s a good guy that’s genuine that actually wants to help.  It’s one of his worst qualities… and since he’s being a big baby and can’t do anything without crying, I promised I’d talk to you, because if I didn’t I’m pretty sure he’d kill himself and I still have 4 years left to work here”.

 

“So, what, you’re doing it for him?” he asks incredulously.  “Sounds gay”.

 

“Or shoot up the camp.  It was a toss-up”.  Max pulls out a cigarette and lights it.  “The point is, is that if you keep being an asshole to people that care about you, pretty soon no one will be around anymore.  You’ll wake up and realize that you’re so depressed you’ll want to kill yourself and then there’ll be no one to stop you, because you pushed them all away, and they’ll never want you back”.  He blows the smoke out between his lips, staring the kid in the eye.

 

“Is that what happened to you?” he asks, looking up at Max hesitantly.

 

“Nah” he replies evenly.  “My problems are my own.  Point being that you can talk to me about whatever’s wrong and I’ll help you deal with it”.  He’s not going to fix it for them, but he’d be willing to be the one to hand them the tools, so to speak.

 

“Oh,” he says in a smal voice.  “My parents are getting a divorce,” he mutters after a long silence, his back hunching.

 

“Oh,” says Max.  “That… That’s pretty bad”.  He wasn’t really expecting that.

 

“They’re just not happy together anymore,” he says, biting his lip.  “I know that it’s better like this: them apart and happy than together and not.  It doesn’t make it suck any less though”.

 

“Yeah,” Max agrees.  “That would be better”.

 

“I know they love me,” he says looking down at his hands, “and they want me to be happy, but… I’m really pissed.  I’m going to have to choose between them who I’m going to live and finish high school with.  I don’t know what to do”.  Tanner wipes his face on his arm, sniffling quietly.

 

Max shifted uncomfortably.  He wasn’t comfortable around tears and wasn’t exactly the comforting type either.  “Well, I’d say pick the one that’s going to have their shit together the most after they separate, or the one you’ll be able to tolerate the most.  Just do what’s going to make you happy, don’t worry about theirs.  They’re already doing what’s best for them, you do what’s going to make you happy and don’t worry about them.  You’re their responsibility, not the other way around”.  Tanner openly sobbed this time, shoulders trembling.  Max feels worry boil over inside him.  “Ah, shit, what’d I say?”  He pats his hand on the kid’s back.

 

Tanner laughs through the sniffles and wipes his face.  “It’s not fucking fair!” he cries.  “We’re all trying _so hard_ to be happy, but none of us are!  It’s not fucking _fair_ ”.

 

Max’s heart plummets.  He doesn’t bother to say ‘life’s not fair’ because that’s the most useless and poisonous thing you could ever tell a kid.  Instead, he says the one thing someone said to him.  “I know,” he agrees.  “It really fucking sucks”.  Tanner sniffles, collecting himself a bit.  Max waits until his tears have almost completely dried until he begins again.  “Life sucks a lot, but there’s always going to be people like David that’ll try and help.  Just stop being shitty to them and let them help”.  Max stands, stretching his arms above his head.  “Well, I said my piece.  Promise to stop lighting shit on fire?”

 

Tanner nods, face red in embarrassment and chuckles.  “Y-Yeah… sorry”.

 

Max snorts, waving his hand as though throwing away the thought.  “It’s fine, I get it.  You’re constantly horny and angry and have no outlet for it like every teenager.  Just do weight camp or something with David, it’ll make him feel better.  And hey,” he says, turning back a moment.  “Don’t feel bad about feeling bad.  Okay?”

 

“Okay!” he says, turning back to his rope.  “Thanks, Max,” the boy whispers when he thinks the man is far enough away not to hear.  Max catches it anyway, and his heart twists.

 

Max walks back to the counselor’s cabin, biting his lip.  David’s voice whispers through the door.   _“Just help me, Gwen, I don’t know what to do!  ...advice would be a g...  He’s always so upset and…  I want him to…  he won’t… help him…  handso…”_  He opens the door, and David stands from his seat on the couch like a man waiting outside a hospital room with his phone to his ear.  “Gwen, I’m going to have to call you back later.  Bye!” he ends the call quickly and is on Max in a flash.  “Is he okay?  Did it go well?” he asks urgently, putting his hands on Max’s chest.

 

Max slaps them off with a sneer.  “What?  Oh, yeah, Tanner.  Yeah, everything’s cool.  He promised not to stab anyone or light shit on fire anymore, so, you know.  It went alright,” he says with a shrug.

 

David grins, tears pricking his eyes.  “Oh, Max, you’re my hero today!  Thank you so much!  I knew you could do it!  I told you!” David cheered, a paragon of honest faith.

 

“Huh?  Oh, thanks,” he replies distantly, his hand twitching.

 

David’s hand falls on his shoulder, looking Max in the eye as the redhead blinks away tears.  “Are you okay, Max?  Is everything alright?”

 

Max shrugs the hand off.  “I’m gonna go take a shit.  Don’t wait up,” he says, walking to the bathroom.

 

“Oh… okay, Max,” David says dejectedly behind him.

 

He slams the door before the redhead can finish.  Max stands in the bathroom, hands on the sink, looking into the mirror.  The bags beneath his eyes are dark and prevalent.  He opens the medicine cabinet and pulls out his pills for when he really has trouble sleeping and takes one, using a hand to bring water to his mouth from the sink.  He wrinkles his nose at the well water taste.  He sighs and turns the fan on.  Then he sits down on the toilet lid, pulls out a cigarette, and lights it.  

 

He takes a long drag from it, pulling the smoke into his lungs.  He wonders what he’s going to do for breakfast tomorrow, and feels his frame begin to shake against his will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written a bit on a whim, so I'm sorry if it feels out of place. Also, Max found that porn mag in a hidden Campbell Cache.
> 
> I'd also like to mention that Tanner's experiences with divorce are a very delicate topic for me, so keep that in mind when you comment. And please do comment, it really brightens my day! I love hearing what you all think, and any criticism is welcome, so long as you're respectful. :)


	7. Slices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids go home. Max gets a call. Pizza.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about being a little late, I'm recovering from halloween. it was a big night for me. enjoy the chapter!

The day the kids go home is harder than he’d thought it’d be.

 

Not particularly because of the paperwork (Max had fled the scene as soon as parents showed up under the guise of being a “greeter”, a job he happily neglected) but more the sight of the kids leaving with the knowledge that he’d never hear from most of them again.  That’s the way it was, he supposed.  There, then gone and out of his hands forever, unknowing of any situation.  They could die in a crash a few miles out of camp and he wouldn’t be any wiser.  The thought of not being responsible any longer used to bring him relief and perseverance, but now only reaped a steady ache from deep in his ribs.

 

The kids go back to their parents, and Max gets reintroduced to people he assumed didn’t care about their kids.  Surprisingly, Max gets a few approving looks while he skims the crowd and eyeing up a few of the hot parents (few and far between).  Most of them just take their kids, say their thanks, sign some forms, and leave.  Thankfully, the crowd begins to thin by noon.  Max is most surprised, however, when he sees Randy tugging along a teenager with the same dark skin and fluffy black hair as the kid.  “Sensei!  This is my sister, Tara-chan!”

 

Tara giggles, and offers a hand with purple fingernail polish.  “Just Tara is fine,” she says with a smile.

 

Max just dips his head in greeting, ignoring the hand.  “Max”.

 

She drops her hand with a flicker of disappointment in her eyes.  “My little brother’s told me so much about you.  It’s nice to see him so happy,” she says.

 

Max nods.  “Yeah.  I’ll miss the squirt,” he replies, and it surprises him how true that is.  The next surprise is the feeling of little arms around his leg, the kid latching to him with a sob.

 

“I’M GOING TO MISS SENSEI SO MUCH!  THERE’S SO MUCH I HAVE YET TO LEARN!” he cries, clutching and getting his snot on the leg of the pants.

 

Max grinds his teeth at the feeling of the kid’s arms hugging around his pants and resists the urge to kick his leg reflexively.  He drops a hand to the kid’s head.  “Hey, look at me,” he says trying to think of something deep to say.  Something honest, and emotional.  Something that will draw them closer together.  Randy’s dark eyes look up from under his fluffy mop of dark hair.  “...If you come back next year, I’ll show you how to fight,” he blurts without thinking.

 

“Really?!” he hears the two of them exclaim together.

 

“Yeah, sure why not,” he says becoming less sure with each breath.  “You’ll need to learn to defend yourself sometime”.

 

“Thank you, Sensei!” he wipes his wet eyes, trembling in every limb, in a weak attempt at hiding his grief.  “I-I must go!  I’ll see you next year, Sensei!” he shouts, picks up his gourd-shaped backpack, and runs tearfully to the parked cars.

 

“He’s so strange,” murmurs his sister thoughtfully.

 

“Yeah,” Max agrees.  “But he’s a good kid.  That’s pretty fucking rare, nowadays”.

 

“You know how to fight properly?” she asks shyly, pulling out a pen.

 

“Yeah, a little.  Why?” he asks.

 

She smiles and scribbles onto a scrap of paper.  “Well, maybe give me a call,” she says, handing it to him with a wink.  “I’d love to have such a handsome guy show me some moves”.

 

Max holds the paper in disbelief and watches the teen walk back to the car slowly.  He looks down at the series of numbers.  “Holy shit,” he mumbles.  He glances up at the sound of a honk and watches Randy wave goodbye from the window of his car.  Max raises his own hand in a farewell.  He feels a small pang in his heart at the sight of the kid leaving down the beaten path.

 

Oh well.  He’d see him next year, and if he didn’t… oh well.  He’d be fine.  Randy’s a good kid.  He looks down at the phone number in his hand and makes his way back to the mess hall to help the other campers check out with David.  He spots his co-counselor by the checkout table, organizing papers.  “You got that?” he asks.

 

David looks up, hair frazzled.  “Of course!  Don’t worry, just greet the other parents,” he says, shuffling papers into a folder.  

 

“David?”

 

“Yes, Max?”

 

“There’s no one here”.

 

David looks around.  It’s true, the mess hall is empty, and the grounds are quiet as the last car leaves down the path.  “Oh”.

 

“Yeah.  It’s going to be weird without the little bastards running around, lighting fires and shit, huh?” he says, sitting down and leaning back in his chair.

 

David closes the folder and flips through another stack of papers with a hum.  “It gets easier every year,” he says smiling.  “I’m really glad you decided to pick up the pace near the end”.

 

Max frowns.  “Yeah, well, it certainly made the time pass quicker,” he lies.  “Oh, and guess what I got?” he grins.

 

David looks up curiously.  “What?”

 

Max hands him the paper.  “Do you know what that is?”

 

David looks at it curiously.  “A phone number?”  David’s confused smile quickly turns to a disapproving frown with realization.  “Max, you didn’t”.  He clutches the paper slip between his fingers, an unfamiliar expression darkening his face.

 

Max snickers, brow raised.  “I didn’t!  She did!  Don’t worry I’m not going to call.  That girl was what, 16?  Fucking me isn’t going to improve her self-esteem”.  He grabs a mug and pours himself a coffee.

 

“Oh,” David says, looking down with an odd look on his face.  “I see”.

 

Max’s phone rings, startling him enough to look at it compulsively, and thank god he did.  He answers eagerly.  “Nurf!  This better be good”.

 

_ “Hey, Max.  Yeah, I’ve got some great news.  That account you asked me to look into your parents locked you out of?  Well, you can finally use it again now.  I’ve been over the will again and again, and nowhere does it say explicitly that the account connected to your private one can’t be used.  Congrats, bro”. _

 

Max feels a grin spread across his face.  “Fuck yes!  Take that, you pathetic bitches!  Hell fucking YES!” Max cackles, standing up with a fist in the air.  “I owe you so damn much, you beautiful bastard!  Thank you!”

 

“Max, what are you-?” David protests behind him.  Max is far too busy feeling the raging fire of success from several years of pent-up spiteful revenge to notice.

 

Nurf chuckles on the other line.   _ “Nah, we’re even now I’d say.  The rest of the will stands though, you won’t get the rest until the-” _

 

“Yeah, yeah, five years of hell.  Listen, thanks a lot, but I’ve just got plans made with my boss,” Max says with a smirk, turning to David.  The redhead straightens in surprise, pointing at himself.  Max nods, watching the co-counselor smile happily, tears pooling at the corners of his eyes.

 

_ “Alright.  Keep it real, Max”. _

 

“You too, man.  Tell Billy I said ‘hey’”.  He ends the call and throws both his fists in the air.  “I GOT IT!  I FUCKING GOT IT!”

 

David stands, smiling through confusion.  “That’s great, Max!  What did you get, exactly?” he asks, brows knitting together.  “And what are we doing?”

 

“I had an account that was linked to my parent’s, but they locked me out of it.  It had a shit ton of money in it that they put aside for college, but I pulled out after I got my associates.  They didn’t say I couldn’t access it in their will, so I got it unlocked!”  He says, knocking back the rest of the coffee.  “And we’re going out for pizza, bitch!  Get your ass in gear and let’s go!  We’ve gotta celebrate!”

 

“What?” David says in shock, still holding a clutter of papers in his hands.  “Right now?”

 

“Yeah, come on!  Your shit will still be here when we get back!  Let’s go, go, go!  Hurry!” he rushes.  David scrambles, shuffling about and dropping papers.  To Max’s utter glee he saw David get an expression that clearly said ‘fuck it’ in every sense of the word, dropped all the folders onto the floor, and scampered to Max with a delighted giggle.  “Alright, David!  Fuck yeah, stick it to The Man!” he cheers with a wide grin to match the redhead’s.  He grabs David by the wrist and they run out of the hall, laughing.

 

Max gives a loud holler in glee, and David follows in suit to the camp car.  Max jumps into the driver’s seat, David already buckling his seat.  The tape in the player kicking on with the growl of the engine as Max pulls out and speeds down the dirt road.

 

 

* * *

 

  
  


“These guys are fucking great, I could eat their rounds every day for a week and all I’d want is more pizza”.  Max trots in cheerfully, David holding open the door to the barren pizza place for him politely.

 

“It’s nice to see you in such a good mood!  I think this is the happiest I’ve ever seen you!” David says with an awed smile.

 

Max snorts goodnaturedly.  “It might be the best day of my life,” he admits.  “Do you have any allergies or shit you won’t eat?” he asks, going up to the half-dead cashier.  David shakes his head, so Max rattles off the double order.  He turns and follows David back around to a corner booth by the windows, revealing the sun slowly begin its descent.  Max always liked the way the trees looked at dusk, when the forest was stained red and orange like a massive bonfire.  The trees never looked so alive, in his opinion.

 

“This is fun.  Thanks for treating me, Max,” David says with a smile, leaning in to rest his chin on his folded fingers.

 

Max hummed, leaning back and staring out the window at the sky that was already beginning to reveal a few stars.  “Don’t worry about it.  I’ve got money now, so it’s not a big deal,” he replies, drumming his fingers on the table.  “I need to decompress after that working in that fucking nightmare,” he says with a groan.

 

David smiles in amusement, his eyes glittering.  Max’s stomach squirms pleasantly.  “Don’t be so dramatic!  It was fun and you know it!  Admit it,” David says with a grin.  “You liked working here,” he purrs.

 

Max stiffens and stills.  He was almost sure David didn’t mean to, but his heavy-lidded eyes were starting to make his heart beat quickly.  “It’s better than retail,” he said, proud he could keep his tone smooth when such a look was directed at him.  One of the few things he was glad to have inherited from his parents was his mother’s ‘full-of-contempt’ expression.

 

David hums and blinks slowly, a sort of bone-deep tired settling over the two of them.  Hell, Max didn’t even do anything, and he felt exhausted.  He couldn’t imagine how David might feel.  “I’m glad to be working with you,” he hears the redhead mumble, a small smile on his face and an eye cracked open to reveal a sliver of green.  

 

Max’s gaze suddenly rips from David’s when the waitress drops the two boxes of pizza on the table for them with a curt “Enjoy,” that all customer service employees knew how to do.  He swallows and tries to casually open the boxes up to reveal pineapple pizza.  “‘Bout fuckin’ time,” he grumbles, chomping into a slice.  “I’m so fuckin’ hungry.  I haven’t eaten at all today”.

 

David’s brow furrows and looks at Max with concern.  “You should take better care of yourself, Max,” David says.  Max scoffs, and the redhead tilts his head worriedly as Max avoids eye contact.  “I’m serious!  You shouldn’t starve yourself like that, you’ll get sick or something!”

 

“Ugh, shut up.  I’m here for a good time, not a long time,” he replies shortly, tearing a piece of his slice with his teeth in hunger.

 

David frowns.  “Why do you do that to yourself?” he asks.

 

“Fuck you, pineapple on pizza is awesome.  You said you’d eat anything,” he growls, reaching for another, the first already wolfed down.

 

“I didn’t mean- okay, the pineapple on pizza is kinda gross-” David says, frowning a bit.

 

Max slams a hand on the table.  “Your opinion means nothing to me!”

 

“-but what I  _ meant _ ,” David continues reaching for a slice, picking the fruit slices off, “Was...  Why do you shut down like that”.

 

Max swallows, the tightness of his throat having nothing to do with the pizza.  “What do you mean?”  He knows what he means.

 

David chews and swallows a bite.  “I just mean,” he says, looking annoyingly earnest, “Whenever I ask about anything about you, you usually just sort of throw up a wall and end the conversation.  I mean, why?”

 

Max ruminates, chewing slowly.  “To know you more is to love you less,” he says plainly.  

 

“That’s not true,” David says with a sniff.  “I know lots of things about you, and I like you!”

 

“Please,” Max says with a snort.  “You don’t know anything about me”.

 

David crosses his arms and gives an insolent look.  His eyes flicker to Max’s plate.  “I… know you like pineapple on your pizza-”

 

“I mostly got it because I thought it would gross you out”.

 

“-and that you drink black coffee every morning for breakfast instead of eating, even though it's not good for you”.  David’s eyes narrow in concentration at Max.  He narrows his own back.  “I know that you secretly keep cake mix hidden in the extra soup pot in the pantry, although I’m not sure what you do with them.  I know that you hate buying things from big businesses because they treat their workers badly-”

 

“I do hate WalMart as much as I hated working there,” he muses.

 

“-And I also know that you like to watch murder mysteries in your free time, and clench your fist like this-” David raises his fist and nods like he himself does, “-when you guess the killer right.  I also know you secretly like to eat dried fruit-”

 

Max looks up from his spot urgently and looks around.  “Shh!”

 

David leans forward with a sneaky grin.  “And that you also eat my trail mix when you think I’m not looking!”

 

“Keep your voice down, damn you!”  He curls his lip and sags in defeat against the back of the booth.  “...You’ve made your point”.

 

David gives a triumphant, “Hmpf!”

 

“...Where were you going with that, anyway?” he asks, closing the empty pizza box.  He takes the last slice for himself.

 

David quirks a small smile.  “I only meant that I  _ do _ know you.  And I still like you,” he says gently, taking Max’s hand across the table.  “We’re a good team… and I’m glad to have you with me”.

 

Max sighs and bites his lip, looking out into the inky darkness.  “You’re grossly sentimental.  Do you know that?” he grumbles.  He scans the darkness and spies the car.  “...I’ll show you when we get home,” Max blurts out.

 

“What?”  David gives him a startled look.

 

“What I do with the cake mix,” he explains, pulling his hand away and picking up the full pizza box, throwing the empty one out.  “When we go home, I’ll show you what I do with the cake mix”.

 

David stares at him mystified, before breaking into a wide grin.  “Okay!” says David cheerfully.  “That sounds like fun!”

 

Max grinds his teeth and reaches for the keys in his pocket.  Outside, it starts to rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> max is exactly the kind of evil that puts pineapple on pizza fucking fight me. also Billy Nikkslip and Nurf are married and in a loving relationship because I think they'd be cute and are lowkey my otp for the show.
> 
> leave a comment, they make my day! what do you think Max does with the cake batter? any predictions? tell me! I love hearing them! :)


	8. Ownership

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nice guys like you shouldn't have bad days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all: What The Fuck you guys. Why did so many of you think Max was going to fuck a cake? WHy? There were so many of you that individually thought "hey what if max fucks a cake"! What ThE FUk?! I literally ascended to a higher plane of existence every time someone said they think max fucks a cake, so thanks for that it was honestly hilarious and the best joke I've ever been a part of. Thanks.
> 
> Sorry that this is a short chapter, but I feel it's worth it and doesn't need any added length. >;) Enjoy, and leave a comment! They make my day!
> 
> EDIT: Haha wow look at all the people I dragged into the sad gay dungeon. 2500 hits? Thank you guys, y'all are sweetest.

Max flicks the light on in the mess hall and drops the pizza on a table, shaking his hair out from under his damp hoodie.  The ground is still covered in David’s flurry of paperwork.  “May as well clean that while I set everything up.  ‘S gonna be a bit”.  He checks the clock.  11:09.  It’s about the time he bakes anyways when the kids are asleep and David’s doing his rounds.

 

David pulls the space heater out of the broom closet and flicks it on.  The redhead gives a sigh at the warmth it immediately expels.  He holds out a hand to Max.  “Give me your hoodie, I’ll set it near the heater to dry”.  Max’s first instinct is to refuse, but instead, he heaves a great sigh and pulls the thick fabric over his head and handing it to David.  The redhead smiles and sets his vest and the hoodie on chairs in front of the heater.  Max shivers from the cold and the odd feeling of air on his bare arms.

 

David pulls a stool over to the kitchen window and watches Max pull strawberry cake mix and chocolate chips out of their hiding place.  No going back now.  He promised.  Besides, he’d mostly moved on from being ashamed of this sort of thing.  He glanced back at David, who was sorting his papers diligently.  The redhead looked up, catching Max staring at him and smiled at him.  Max frowns and turns away, his ears warm.  He hopes his face isn’t nearly as red as it feels.  He distracts himself by turning on the radio, flipping to the one station he knows comes in right and has halfway decent music.

 

“So, what were you going to show me?” David asks, turning on the electric kettle on the kitchen window’s counter.  He pulls a packet of his fruity tea out as Max washes his hands.  He motions to the tea in a questioning manner.

 

Max dries his hands, gets his favorite large green mug and David’s favorite red one, and pulls a hot cocoa packet out.  “You’ll see in a second, chill”.  He leaves to move back to the refrigerator, pulls out a couple of eggs, and grabs some oil.  He dumps the packet of cake mix into a bowl, cracks the eggs in, pours a small amount of oil, and begins to mix.  

 

David watches curiously.  “No water?”  He pours hot water into their mugs, stirring Max’s hot cocoa packet into his co-counselor’s mug.  Max shakes his head, lips pressed tightly together as he dumps the chocolate chips in.  He uses the spatula to make little balls of chocolate-strawberry dough and organizes them into rows on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  “Cookies?” David says in astonishment.  “Out of cake mix?”

 

Max pushes the tray into the blazing oven and slams the door closed to set the timer.  “My parent’s kinda forgot they had a kid, most of the time.  Neither of them really made dinner, and the maid had a habit of raising her elbow too much at the worst times,” he admits, making a drinking gesture.  He steers himself to sit next to David, who sips his tea.  David’s eyes were focused and empathetic, and Max was very uncomfortable with them being trained on his vulnerabilities.  “I had to figure out how to make easy stuff as soon as I could.  I mean, take out is good, but not every night.  Looking up how to make shit on the internet wasn’t too hard, and it beat microwave popcorn every night”.

 

“But you hate cooking!” David blurts.  “You never cook when I ask you to!  You just put out cereal!”

 

Max snorts, slurping cocoa and feeling the warmth travel deep to his bones.  He settles down into his seat.  “Yeah, it’s annoying.  I did it because I had to, not because I want to.  Anyways, it kinda carried over into high school and college.  Most of the time, I was over at my buddy Neil’s.  Usually, we’d end up high out of our minds at three in the morning, and end up with the munchies.  His mom always had a ton of cake or brownie mix for some reason, so we’d just figure out what stuff we could make with it.  Muffins, doughnuts, cookies, you name it, we’ve tried it.  Cookies were the most common since they baked so quick”.  The timer dinged, and Max knocked back the rest of the hot liquid.  “Sometimes we’d put CBD in instead of oil and end up in an endless cycle of getting high and getting munchies,” he chuckles.  “In our sophomore year in high school, we just power baked a whole night a ton of muffins and cookies and stuff for finals week.  Believe it or not, I actually aced everything,” he says with a laugh.

 

David’s brow wrinkles.  “I hope you haven’t been getting high at camp, Max,” he scolds.

 

“Nah,” he says.  “I need this job more than I like getting high”.

 

“How come you never talk about Neil?” David asks from behind him, as he pulls the warm cookies out from the oven.

 

“We don’t talk that much anymore”.  He sets the baking tray on the stovetop carefully.  He wondered what Neil was doing now.  He’d wanted to do something with chemistry the last time they’d talked.  He winced.  The last time they talked was…

 

_“Where are you going?!”_

 

_“I don’t know.”_

 

Max shook his head.

 

“But you miss him?”  David asked, head tilted.  “Why not give him a call?”

 

“It’s not that fucking simple,” he sighs.  “I haven’t talked to Nikki and Neil in… I don’t know how long”.

 

He hadn’t talked to Nikki or Neil since March 5th.  It was August 29th.

 

 _Too long,_ his mind whispered.  His knuckles cracked.  “I don’t really want to talk about it,” he heard himself say, crossing his arms and leaning against the warm door of the oven.

 

“That’s okay,” David says from the kitchen window.  It’s silent a moment, Max staring down at the linoleum of the kitchen floor, trying to keep his brain from straying too far into the past.  “I like this.  When you share things with me.  You can be so…” David trails off.

 

Max quirks his lips.  “Asshole-ish?” he teases in amusement.

 

“That’s not what I was going to say,” David defends.

 

“It’s okay.  I know I can be a real dick,” he assures.

 

“I was going to say sweet”.  David says with a smile.

 

Max almost chokes laughing.  “Me?!  You’re fucking with me”.

 

David shakes his head earnestly.  “No, no, I’m serious!” the redhead responds.  Max spatulas the cookies onto a plate and brings them to the window.  “You’re mean because you’re afraid people won’t like you, and you don’t want to get attached, but sometimes you open a wall and it’s… it’s amazing”.  Max stares down at the plate of strawberry-chip cookies, unable to meet David’s eyes.  He wants his hoodie back.  The radio is playing a song he knows well.  His mind is everywhere.  “You’re so full of surprises.  You’re sweet, and you’re kind, and you’re funny, but you’re also tough.  You don’t let anyone hurt you, and you don’t do anything you don’t want to.  You’re so confident in yourself”.  Max looks up when David lays his hand over his, David’s eyes flickering down.  The redhead’s cheeks were flushed, his eyes soft in the low light.  “I always admired that about you”.

 

Max rasps a harsh laugh.  “Are you fucking kidding me?  You’re the confident one!”

 

David snorts, and Max’s chest aches.  His hand is so warm despite the cold they’d just been in.  “Hardly.  I do my best, but it’s nothing like what you have.  I wish I were tougher like you.  You don’t let anyone push you around or tell you what to do”.  He stares at Max adoringly, resting his chin on his hand.

 

Max huffs in embarrassment.  “Shut up,” he grumbles, then bites his lip.  “...I wish… I wish I could do the sort of things you could,” he takes a cookie and bites into the chewy goodness.

 

David takes his chin off his hand and takes a cookie.  “What do you mean?”  He takes a bite, and his eyes closed in bliss and let out a satisfied moan that sends electricity down Max’s spine.  “Oh golly, these are amazing”.

 

Max swallows, his eyes trained on David’s rapturous expression, his mouth slightly open watching the redhead chew the baked pink treat.  He feels his breath shallow as he tries to form the proper words under David’s blissed-out gaze.  He can feel saliva pool under his tongue that has nothing to do with the smell of fresh baked goods.  “I… want to be good.  Like you are,” he admits.  “It’s so easy for you to just do what’s right, and I have so much trouble with it.  I’m sorry I’m not a good person, David and I’m sorry you’re stuck here with me”.

 

David looks as though he might cry.  Max kicks himself mentally.  “I’m not stuck with you.  Have I really made you feel like I don’t want you here?” He squeezes Max’s hand.  “Max, we’re friends.  I’m glad to have you here.  I’m sorry I ever made you feel like I didn’t”.

 

“You aren’t!  It’s just-” he grinds his teeth.

 

“Just… what?” David inquires, sniffling slightly.

 

Max sighs in frustration.  “I don’t know!  I just always feel like I’m intruding and shouldn’t be… anywhere.  Wherever I am.  This is one of the few places I actually do feel somewhat alright in”.  He pulls his hand from David’s.  “Sorry.  I don’t mean to throw all this onto you.  This is a good day”.

 

David smiles and nudges Max’s shoulder with his, and he shivers at the brief warmth of skin-to-skin contact.  He feels his mouth water at the silky feel of skin against his arm.  “It’s perfectly fine Max.  I’m glad you told me.  Friends shouldn’t keep things from each other, right?” he asks shyly.

 

Max swallows, the smell of David’s fruity tea filling his nose as the redhead takes a sip.  He’s suddenly very aware of his shirt rubbing against his back.  “Yeah,” he breathes.

 

David bites his lip, looking suddenly very wistful.  “Max?”

 

“Yeah?” he replies, biting into another cookie.

 

“We’re friends, right?” David asks nervously, an odd expression crossing his face as he leaned forward.

 

“Yeah man, of course,” he confirms with a nod.

 

David takes a deep breath.  “So I can tell you if- I can confide in you, can’t I?”  David looks into his mug, his eyes flicking back and forth to Max’s.

 

Max feels his brow furrow.  “Are you in some kind of trouble?  Because if you are, I can make some calls, whatever it is.  I’ve got connections, David,” he says, his back stiffening.

 

David chuckles without humor.  “No, nothing like that, I just- I’m afraid that you won’t like me anymore if you know”.

 

Max huffs in amusement, relaxing.  “David, whatever’s wrong, it’s nothing nearly as bad as anything I’ve ever done.  I can promise you that”.

 

David is quiet.  Max can see the gears turning in his head.  “Maybe another time,” David mumbles as though it were a question, and shakes his head wistfully.  There’s a sad, small smile on his lips and his eyes are distant, in another place.

 

Max sighs, and gives a small smile in return, awkwardly patting his shoulder.  David is warm and firm under his hand, and he can’t help the slight shiver that crawls up his back when he unintentionally squeezes the muscle.  David looks up at Max with softened eyes, curious at the gesture.  “Listen, David.  I don’t know what’s going on, and it’s fine if you don’t want to tell me, but whatever it is, you’ve got to fucking own it,” Max says firmly, watching David’s eyes widen.  “If you don’t lean into it, don’t accept it, then you’ll spend the rest of your life hating yourself over stupid bullshit that doesn’t even matter, and let it run your life, and a nice guy like you shouldn’t ever let that happen to him, okay?”.  Max stands and stretches his arms above his head, glancing at the door.  “We should probably-”.

 

He is broken off by David grabbing his arm as he turns, the redhead’s heated flesh tight around his wrist.  David’s face is contorted strangely like he’s only barely holding himself back.  “Max,” he says as if to get the attention that the man already has.  Max can barely keep himself contained at the feeling of David’s hand so firm around his wrist, his grip ensuring Max stays where he is.

 

“Yeah?” he asks breathlessly.  His hand is so distracting.  He can barely keep his lungs working.

 

David’s eyes stir in a recognizable way.  “I…  Oh, forget it!”

 

Suddenly, there's chapped lips pressed to his own and a sudden overwhelming sense of _warmth._   Max was so surprised by the feeling of David’s body pinning his own against the wall that he didn’t realize that the rain had stopped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

**MAX'S 30 MINUTE CAKE MIX COOKIES (Yes this is a real recipe, I've made them many times, they're actually really good)**

 

**Ingredients:**

  * **(1) box of cake mix (any kind is ok)**
  * **(2) eggs**
  * **(1/2) cup of vegetable oil**
  * **Chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, etc (use whatever you want, I'm not your mom)**



 

 

**Steps:**

  1. **Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C**
  2. **Combine your cake mix, eggs, and oil in a bowl with a RUBBER SPATULA**
  3. **Use the spatula to make golf ball sized balls of cookie dough (not your hands, it will be too sticky!  I made that mistake the first time I made them)**
  4. **Transfer to a baking tray/cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  If you use foil, make sure to use non stick or grease it**
  5. **Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes.  They'll be done when the bottom/edge is golden brown**



 

**These are nice and chewy, but not too soft.  They're really gooey right out of the oven, so make sure you let them set for a little bit.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT NOTE PLEASE READ!
> 
> You'll have to wait a little longer for the next chapter, but when it comes out I'll be releasing TWO chapters: 9 and 10. I feel it will make more sense like that, so please be patient while I type them up.
> 
> In the meantime, make yourself some cookies; you deserve them. I recommend the strawberry cake mix and chocolate chips, or chocolate mix with mini marshmallows in them.


	9. A Gun, A Knife, A Crowbar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day they met, and the day they stayed together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: There's some violence in this. You'll know when it comes. Be prepared.

The first time David met Max the sun was shining.

 

Cameron Campbell had been arrested three weeks prior (for a rather extensive list that he tried hard not to think about), and David had received temporary ownership of Cameron Campbell’s Camp Campbell on the edge of Lake Lilac.  David was proud to run the camp officially, though he’d been doing it for years since Mr. Campbell was rarely at the camp at all.  David had done absolutely everything that was needed, except write the paychecks (and now he even got to do that!  Dreams really did come true).  He had done the books, taxes, fixed the ancient plumbing, bought supplies, fixed the campmobile; the list of jobs David had done for the camp was never-ending, and he loved every minute of it.

 

David had been working himself to the bone for the camp since his first year as a counselor.  Recently though, he’d found himself more worn out and overworked than usual.  So much so that Gwen had called him out on it.  “Hire someone,” she’d said when he’d mentioned how exhausted he’d been lately.  “It doesn’t have to be permanent, just make sure they help out.  You’re going to fucking kill yourself if you keep it up at this rate, David”.

 

So, David sent an ad into the Sleepy Peak’s Classifieds newspaper for an additional counselor position.

 

He got no response for a week.

 

Then, as he was walking some fishing gear over to the shed, a car pulled into the camp parking lot.  David looked up and found himself grinning in excitement.  The first correspondent!  He could hardly believe it!  Good things really did come to those who wait!

 

A scruffy man pulled himself out of the car with great effort, and David slowed in his advance.  He was not tall, but he was shorter than David.  Neither thin nor fat.  His brows were furrowed and one of them bore two dark metal piercings.  His hair was tangled in a fluffy mess of bedhead and eyes tired.  It was the man’s body language that caught David’s attention the most.

 

His face was dark and closed off, body slouching terribly and tense.  His eyes dark and piercing and when David stared into them it was as though the man were seeing every part of David at once.  He felt oddly naked and shifted uncomfortably under the fixed, jade green gaze.  Despite the man’s razor blades for eyes and standoffish posture, he seemed oddly lost.  There was something distinctly awkward and an odd sense that the man felt he was an interloper.  

 

Gathering himself, David smiles in welcome at the stranger.  “Hello!  Welcome to Camp Campbell!  I’m David!  You must be here for an interview, right?”  The man certainly wasn’t dressed for a job interview, but David preferred a working interview anyhow and disliked when people inevitably had to change out of their nice clothes.  He shouldn’t assume though, the poor man might be homeless!  Perish the thought!

 

The man’s frown deepened.  “Interview?” he asked, tone stiff.

 

David smiled awkwardly.  “Yes?  For the job offer I sent out a week ago?”  The stood still and didn’t respond, simply staring.  David felt sweat pool on his neck.  “For the co-counselor position?  We can discuss your pay at the end, but for now, we need to get these,” he kicked the tub of fishing equipment, “down to the lake!  Mind giving me a hand, partner?” he asked politely, sure to put on his most reassuring smile.  The stranger didn’t move, and for a moment David wondered if the man was hostile or simply had a hearing problem, but then he prowled closer and grabbed the other side of the massive tub.  “Thank you!  So, what’s your name?” he asked, through huffs of breath.

 

The stranger grunted when he heaved his side of the tub up, his sleeves pushed up to his elbows.  “Max,” he growled, following David’s lead to the waterfront.

 

“Nice to meet you!” he said with a smile.  “Any experience with kids?” he inquired.

 

“I used to volunteer at a children's’ hospital,” he says, panting with exertion.

 

“That’s good!  You’ll just have to fill out a form when we get back to the hall,” he cheered with a grin.  Max looked up at him, face revealing a faint flicker of surprise.  “Congratulations, you got the job!”

 

“That’s it?!  I could be a murderer, or here to rob you,” Max shoots back nastily.

 

David tilted his head smiling in amusement.  Oh dear.  Such a temper.  “You aren’t though, are you?” he asked.

 

“No,” Max begrudgingly admitted.

 

David grinned wide and almost tripped over a tree root.  “Then I’ve got nothing to worry about, do I?” he said with a smile.

 

Max shook his head and chuckled with resignation.  “You’re fucking impossible, do you know that?”

 

David huffed when he set the tub down with Max, the stranger flinching when he clapped him on his back.  “I get that a lot!  Come on!  We’ve got a lot to do!  Welcome to the Camp!" He cheered and moved in for a hug.

 

It was met with a reactionary punch to the face that left it stinging for the rest of the week.

  


* * *

 

  


Max was strange.

 

David was no stranger to strange, but the man was simply enigmatic.  He was quiet and artfully dodged any unnecessary contact with David, and most of his answers were one worded and said with an edge.

 

David wasn’t sure about Max, to be honest.  There was still so much about him that he didn’t know.  Which was exactly why he brought Max with him to the store in town.  The problem was that anytime David asked about Max, the man would simply brush him off or give him a hard glare before turning away.

 

Lost in thought, David thumped against an outstretched arm in front of him.  David looked up, blinking in surprise.  “Max, what-”

 

“You almost stepped in wet cement, you idiot”.  The brunette nodded down to the walkway.

 

David looked down.  Indeed, there was a large pool of repaired cement, the workers nowhere to be found.  “Oh!  Thank you!”  He turned to see Max knelt down, his finger in the wet cement.  “Max!” he scolds.

 

“What?” he snaps back.  “You have to write your name in wet cement.  It’s, like, a rule”.

 

David looked around nervously as Max rolled his sleeves up.  “But what if we get in trouble?”

 

Max looked up at David, his gaze steely and resolved, a far cry from the sad, lost look he had when David had first met him.  “David, no one gives a shit.  Now, you can either get down here and write your name with me and quit your bitching, or you can stand there and be a pissbaby”.

 

David was stunned.  It was the most that Max had said to him, and it was so full of vulgarities.  He was frozen a moment before he found himself stooping to a squat and writing out his name next to Max’s.  He found himself liking the idea more the more he thought about it.  Kids walking home from school or people in town could see this years and years from now and wonder who ‘David’ was.  Maybe they’d wonder where he was or where he’d been or what he looked like, like he had imagined for names in cement a million times before.  

 

He paused before drawing a little smiley face next to his name, Max putting the year down at the end of his own.  Before David could pull away, Max’s wet hand shot out and forced his own into the gooey cement with a _plop._  “Ew, Max!”  he shrieked and the man chuckled in amusement, catching David’s eye.

 

He had never seen Max laugh before.  His face was softer, the sun catching in his hair and bringing out flecks of copper he wouldn’t have seen otherwise.  “The fuck are you looking at?” the man snapped, David startling back to himself.

 

“Nothing!” he stated, gripping the plastic bags with gritty hands.  “Let’s just get home”.  He sighed resigned, realizing he’d have to drive back with a wet hand.

 

* * *

 

 

A few days later, Daniel came to Camp Campbell.

 

David hadn’t thought there was anything wrong.  Sure, the man stared an awful lot and had a strange sense of humor, but it wasn’t setting off any bells. He’d been chipper and extremely willing to help and seemed genuinely interested in camping.  He was smart and fun, and had an odd way of being charismatic.  David thought he’d found the perfect long-term solution to his lack of counselors.

 

He’d never been so, so wrong in his entire life.

 

“Max, this is Daniel!  He’ll be working with us!” he said with a grin, hand on Daniel’s shoulder.

 

“Howdy there!” Daniel had greeted, mellow as a rabbit in a carrot farm.

 

Max squinted from his chair, his hair mussed from sleep.  David found it distinctly adorable.  Max looked Daniel up and down.  His face held the same sort of passing curiosity that some had when they looked at a piece of particularly gruesome roadkill.  “What’s with the fucking cult get-up, bitch?  On your way to Silent Hill?” he rasped disdainfully.

 

Oh.  He’d forgotten Max could be so rude when he’d just woken up.  “Max!” he scolds.  “I am so sorry about him”.

 

Daniel isn’t looking at him though.  He’s grinning wide at Max, perfect white teeth bared.  “Oh, it’s no problem!  You must be Max!  I’ve heard _all_ about you.” he greets, voice slow and steady.  His eyes focused solely on Max.

 

Max blinks and stares right back, the man’s face pinched and nervous.  “O...kay?”

 

Daniel leans in slightly and Max twitches under the blonde’s gaze, Daniel’s grin growing wider.  David felt sweat form on his brow.  Was this normal behavior?  “Quite the sense of… _humor,_ huh?”

 

David felt the air spark with electricity, Max apparently waking up enough to come back to himself.  His lip curled in irritation, back straightening like a wild dog posturing.  “Hey, why don’t you show Daniel around, Max?  You two should get to know each other!” he says suddenly.

 

Perhaps Max was feeling a bit standoffish because he didn’t know David as well as he did himself!  Max did take a while to warm up to him, so it only made sense that he’d feel similarly to Daniel!  “What?!  No, David-”

 

David waved his hand dismissively with a smile.  “Don’t worry about me, Max!  You just work with our new friend Daniel!”

 

Daniel chuckled good-naturedly beside him.  “Gee, thanks, David!  I sure hope we can be real good friends, Max!”

 

Max slammed his forehead into the table and mumbled a curse.

 

* * *

 

 

Max showed up at David’s cabin that night.  David grinned.  “Well hello, Max!  What a nice surprise!  What brings you here?”

 

Max grimaced.  “Can… do you mind if I crash here for the night?”  The brunette shifted in the low, orange light of the porch light.  David’s eyes lowered to see that Max had his pillow tucked under his arm and his backpack in his hand.

 

David felt as though his heart might burst out of his chest.  “A sleepover?!  Oh Max, what a great idea!  Let’s invite Daniel and-”

 

“NO!” he shouted, pushing David inside the cabin and locking the door behind him, glancing out through the blinds.

 

David frowns.  “Max, what on earth has gotten into you?!”  He stands, brushing himself off.  

 

Max glances from the window.  “Do you know self-defense?”

 

David feels his brow wrinkle.  “What does that have to do with anything?”

 

Max turns around and advances on him.  “You fucking moron.  You hired a fucking cultist”.

 

David frowns harder, irritation boiling in his gut.  “Max, I have had enough of these cult jokes!  Daniel is one of us now, and I know that you have some sort of trust issues-”

 

“What?!”

 

“-but we need to trust others to get trust back!” he finishes firmly with his hands on his hips.  “And I don’t get why you can’t just leave Daniel alone!  He’s done nothing suspicious!”

 

Max glared and crossed his arms.  “You’re fucking with me, right?  He gave us ‘detoxification diets’ to cleanse us of ‘negative emotions from _space_ ’ David!”

 

David shrugs.  “So?  Lots of people nowadays care about nutrition!  Why do you think veganism is so popular?”

 

“He read a bunch of Latin out of a book with a pentagram on it at dinner!  He was spouting off a bunch of nonsense about a Galactic Confederacy and the big bang giving us endless amounts of radioactive evil!” he hisses, gripping David by the lapels of his pajamas.

 

David grins nervously.  “All I hear is that he’s bilingual through his religious choices!  That doesn’t make him a cult leader!”

 

Max stared at him, his face twisted.  “You’re such a fucking moron,” he growled, slamming his pillow on the spare bed with a loud _smack._  He turned back to David, his face angry and resolute.  “But _god damn it_ if you aren’t my boss.  I’m not leaving you alone with that freak show out there”.

 

David felt his heart swell.  “Oh, Max-” he cooed happily.  “I’m flattered that you’re so worried!”  He smiles thoughtfully.  Perhaps Max just needed a bit of reassurance.  “Fine, if it will make you feel better, you can sleep in here with me; but only for tonight, okay?”  David pulled a sleeping bag out from the closet and rolled it to his co-counselor.

 

Max glared, taking the sleeping bag and unrolling it.  “Don’t look too deeply into this.  If you die, no one is going to write my paycheck,” he snaps.

 

David smiles and turns out the light.  “Good night, Max!  Sleep tight!”

 

Max turns over and doesn’t answer.

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning David wakes up with his hands zip-tied together, a headache like none other, and Max nowhere in sight.

 

His throat was tight and dry and he kicked against the floor wildly in a daze, trying to get some grounding of where he was.  

 

“Oh, up already?”.

 

David looks up, eyes bleary.  The world tilted and spun around him, bile rising in his throat.  Finally, his gaze focuses on a pair of blank blue eyes and a cheerful grin.  “Daniel?” he rasps, struggling against his restraints.  The plastic of the ties cutting into his flesh painfully.  “What’s going on?” he asks, looking around to see he was zip-tied to a chair in the kitchen.  Bags of colored powder were flung about, and Daniel was stirring a large punch bowl full to the brim of an ominous purple liquid.

 

Daniel grinned and dumped a large box’s insides into the punch.  He blinked in horror at the label.   _That was rat poison._  “Aw, don’t look so upset!  I’m just trying to make it so you don’t hurt yourself while you ascend!”

 

David’s mind finally catches up with his body and he pants fearfully.   _Where’s Max?_  He was with him when they fell asleep, where was he now?  What if something had happened to him?  What if Daniel had _done_ something?  “Max?” he croaked, coughing.

 

Daniel chuckles above him and pours a red solo cup full to the brim with the poisonous Kool-Aid.  “Don’t worry, Max is fine!  He’s just tied up for a bit while I help you!  He’ll join the party in a moment.  Now,” Daniel leans down and offers the punch to him with hollow eyes and a grin with too many teeth, a strange knife he hadn’t seen before held in his other hand lighting fear into David’s heart.  “Do you want to ascend the easy way, or do you want me to help you?” he purred insidiously, his eyes glowing with an awful light.

 

David’s mind worked frantically.  “N-now come on Daniel, you don’t want to hurt me, do you?  This- this i-isn’t right, and you know it.  Just untie me, and w-we won’t tell anyone-”

 

Daniel frowned suddenly, his blank eyes turning cold and hard.  “No,” he whispered, hooking his knife into a sheath on his belt.  “They never do”.

 

He suddenly launched forward, grabbing David by the throat and forcing his mouth open.  David gargled horribly, thrashing as best he could, only succeeding in moving the chair a small amount.  He barely registered Daniel’s cold quips about how _safe_ he should feel, and how he’d _thank_ David later.  David coughed, forcing the liquid out of his throat, the mixture numbing his mouth dangerously, the bitter taste horribly reminding him he would die if he drank.

 

A flash of blue caught his eye and the next second he knew, he was coughing up the rest of the poisoned fruit punch.  He heard a metallic _THUNK_ and when he looked up, Daniel was on the floor, a small pool of blood around his head.  Max smashes down a second time when Daniel lets out a startled cry and tries to block his face with his arms.  He does not make a sound.  Max stands above him, crowbar in hand and chest heaving.  His wrists were bleeding and he was panting like the devil was after him.  Max curled his lips and spit onto the floor next to the motionless, fallen cultist.  “You punch like my dead grandma, motherfucker”.

 

“Max!  Are you okay!?”

 

Max whipped his head around, and David’s gut turned to ice.  One of Max’s eyes was bruised, the flesh turned a slight purplish yellow.  His lip was split, and his eyes were wild.  His green eyes widened at the sight of David.  “Holy shit!  David!” he cried, snatching the knife from Daniel’s sheath.  “I’ll get you out!  Fuck!”

 

“Max,” he sobs, tears pouring from his face.  “I’m sorry.  You w-were right, we shouldn’t have let him in-”

 

“Shut up, idiot!” he snaps, the zip tie holding David’s wrists together severing.  “You call the police, I’ll tie him up for when they get here”.

 

David nods, trying to steady his breathing.  He eyes the small splatter of blood next to David’s head and his gut churns.  “Is he…?”

 

Max finishes cutting the ties binding his feet to the chair, and looks over to Daniel.  “Nah, he’s still breathing.  Fucker.  Should’ve hit harder”.  He grumbles, rolling his shoulder.  He pulls the landline off the hook from the counter and hands it to David’s shaking palms.  “Here, call 911.  I’ve got this”.  Max kneels down to hoist Daniel into a sitting position, pulling some duct tape out of a drawer.  “If this asshole breaks out of these, I’m fucking killing him,” he says darkly.

 

David shivers dialing the emergency line number.  As he’s answering the operator's questions, he realizes something.  It was as though a final wire had connected in David’s brain that made everything about Max come into horrible, horrible clarity.

 

Something terrible had happened to Max before he’d come to Camp Campbell.  David didn’t know what it was, but there was a look in Max’s eye a splinter of a moment before he turned to look at David that reminded him of the bear incident.

 

His first year of counseling, he’d been working with a guy named Jasper.  Jasper took a lot of pride in knowing everything there was to know about camping and wilderness survival.  They’d been rivals for a while, having gone to Camp Campbell together years before.  

 

One thing that Jasper had really prided himself on was his shotgun.  

 

David wasn’t particularly fond of guns.  Having grown up in a small town, he knew the only time you saw a gun was when you were hunting or something bad was about to happen.  Jasper was really into it though, and cheerfully showed David how it worked, told him all about how his dad had been teaching him how to hunt and aim, smiling pridefully all the while.  David had just smiled politely.

 

One day though, a bear had wandered into the camp.  David had shooed the kids into the mess hall hastily, the beast growling at him fiercely.  He’d almost wet his pants he was so scared.  He hadn’t known what to do, so fearfully, he pulled off his shoe and threw it in front of the bear.  Thankfully, the bear had forgotten him for a moment and curiously nosed the shoe.

 

Behind the beast he saw Jasper, shaking with his shotgun in his hands.  “Help!” he’d mouthed desperately.  Jasper wasn’t looking at him though.  His eyes were locked on the massive bear, each of his limbs trembling with the force of an earthquake.  When the gun clicked, the bear turned on his co-counselor and roared.  The gun fired and a second later, the bear lay dead in the center of camp, the gun fallen from Jasper’s shaking hands.

 

Mr. Campbell had praised Jasper that day for his quick thinking and bravery, but Jasper was staring fearfully into David’s eyes all the while, because David knew the truth.  

 

Because David knew Jasper hadn’t meant to fire the gun, he’d meant to drop it.

 

A few weeks later, Mr. Campbell told David he’d be finishing the summer without Jasper because he’d gone home to California.  He never heard from Jasper again, nor did he want to.

 

Max had a look in his eye when he’d come into David’s cabin the night before, and he’d had it again that night, standing over Daniel with a bloody crowbar in his hands.  He’d never been trained to aim a gun, never trained for violence as far as David knew, maybe not particularly good at it either, but he didn’t hesitate either.  There was some look that he had when he sensed things were starting to go bad.  It was some sort of indescribable emotion of fear and resolve.

 

When the police had come and picked up Daniel’s unconscious body and all the legalities had been tucked away neatly, David had hesitantly asked what Max would do if something like this happened again.  He asked what he might do if it happened again when the _kids_ were here with them.

 

Max had said in a rather cold tone, “Whatever I have to,” only with a lot more cussing.  Then he'd simply never moved his things out of their now shared cabin.

 

David had realized he would much rather have Max and a rusted crowbar than Jasper and his pretty shotgun, because at least Max wouldn’t drop his weapon when he needed him most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wasn't originally going to put Daniel in this story except for a small mention later on but then I rewatched Cult Camp and remembered how much I FUCKIN HATE DANIEL. So I clipped this chapter a bit and replaced it with Daniel getting the shit beat out of him and an (unnecessary?) explanation as to why Max and David sleep in the same cabin. You're welcome.
> 
> Also, yes, Max has piercings. Fight me scrub. (David made him take them out for camp and replace them with clear ones for professional reasons. He puts the metal ones back in a few weeks later.)
> 
> Once again, I have no beta, so feel free to correct my spelling. Thank you for all of your comments, they're a treasure!
> 
> EDIT 2/11/18: Continuity error fixed


	10. Wet Cement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We all only get what we deserve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up, it gets kinda steamy in here. Skip that I guess if you get uncomfortable.

David’s lips are chapped and scrape against his own.  He’s firm and real, and Max is dazed by just how  _ warm _ and  _ steady _ he feels pressing him into the wall.  One of David’s hands is fisted into his hoodie, the other holding his hand to the wall desperately.  He doesn’t think that kisses are supposed to feel so overwhelming, yet each of his senses screams at the top of their lungs to his brain, who has yet to catch up.

 

It was at that moment that Max realized what a pathetic substitute for human contact hot showers and heavy blankets were.

 

It’s a sloppy, tongueless kiss and it shouldn’t make him feel so breathless.  He’s stunned, his senses caught in a loop of reveling in the warmth of another body against his own and his own surprise freezing his limbs in place.  He’s caught off guard by how  _ nice  _ David feels, long limbs everywhere, nervously twitching and pressing into Max at awkward intervals.  He can smell David’s scent mingled with the floral notes of his tea, taste the rainwater on his lips.

 

Max snaps back to his senses when David,  _ pure, saintly David, who told him to watch his language around children and covered his eyes at sex scenes on movie nights,  _ sinks his teeth into Max’s bottom lip, his knee knocking painfully into the inside of Max’s thigh.  He gasps and David pulls away a moment.  Max does the first thing he can think of, his body shrieking back to itself at his space being so invaded.

 

Unfortunately, the first thing he can think of is punching David in the face.

 

David falls to a heap on the floor and Max heaves a shaking gasp, his hand over his mouth.  “Oh, god I am so sorry,” David babbles, incoherently.  His hands are pulled close over his face, mumbles bubbling through his lips.

 

Max hisses air harshly through his teeth and licks his lip, feeling the slight indent where David’s teeth were.   _ He fucking kissed you! _  He shakes himself and despite his better judgment, slaps David’s hands away from his face.  David needs him, and hell if he isn’t more important than Max.  “Holy shit David, breathe!”

 

David takes gulps of air too quickly and looks as though he’s choking on it.  “I’m… trying,” he gasps.

 

Max growls.  “Jesus fuck, come on!”  He steels himself up,  _ for David _ , he reminds himself, and takes the redhead’s hand in his and places it on his chest.  It’s warm, and presses into Max’s ribs hard.  “Come on, Davey, work with me.  Breathe with me!  In,” he says breathing deep, and David follows, distant eyes barely connecting with his own.  “Out,” he says, sighing the breath out.  “There you go, come on”.

 

It takes a few more moments for David to come back to himself, and almost immediately breaks into tears, jerking his hand back in embarrassment or shame.  “I am so sorry, Max,” he cries.  “I didn’t mean to make things weird”.

 

“What the hell are you talking about?”  Max’s voice shakes and it infuriates him.

 

David sobs wildly.  “I’d understand if you filed a sexual harassment report.  I’ll stay away from you if you want”.  

 

Max sighs.  “David, sit up,” he says, pulling him up with him to the table’s bench.  “I’m not going to do that”.  Max tries to still himself but his body is oddly shaking, his movements twitchy and not recognizable as his own.  It felt as though they were a string being plucked with each twitch.

 

David sobs again, sniffling.  He straightens himself up, trying to steady himself.  “It’s okay, Max.  I’ll deal with whatever punishment is handed to me by the authorities.  I can’t believe I was so dumb,” he muttered, and Max felt his heart crush like a tin can underfoot.  “I can’t believe I tricked myself into thinking you actually  _ liked  _ me”.

 

“Wait, wait, wait.   _ What? _  Are you telling me that this whole time you were  _ into me?! _ ” he screeched.  David nods miserably, his face in his hands.  “ _ Oh my god!  I’m such a fucking moron! _  I can’t believe I didn’t see this coming!  All the hand holding… god fucking damn it!”  Max kicks a chair flying, screeching curses furiously.  His vision runs red and he can only imagine how livid he must look.

 

David howls loudly.  “I’m sorry!”

 

Max turns on him furiously, pointing with his index finger.  David shrivels even more, though he hadn’t thought previously possible.  “Shut up!  You have nothing to be sorry for!  Just ask next time, alright?”

 

David sniffles hopefully.  “Ask?”

 

Max’s mind catches up with what he’s just announced.  He swallows his panic, bottling the feeling up inside his chest.  He wants this, he realizes.  He wants it more than anything he’s ever wanted, and god damn it if Max doesn’t defend what he wants.  “Yeah, just… I- I don’t like being touched”.  He rubs his arm.  “Not without warning”.

 

David sniffles, and wipes his face.  He offers his hand out to Max.  “So… is this okay then?”

 

Max stares at the hand.  He stretches his own out slowly, before hesitating a moment, pulling back for a second, and then strengthening his resolve, he takes it.  David grins widely, tears flowing.  “Yeah.  It’s fine”.  David sniffles, tears pricking the redhead’s eyes.  Max feels himself alarm.  “What the fuck is wrong  _ now,  _ I said I liked you back!?” he pulls a paper towel off the roll to hand to the weeping man.

 

“It’s just,” David says with a sniffle, giving Max a watery smile.  “I like you a  _ lot _ ”.  David blows his nose.  

 

Max wrinkles his own.  “You’re disgustingly nice,” he snaps.  “...It’s one of your best features,” he mumbles begrudgingly after.

 

David wipes his face and evens his breathing.  “Can… can I kiss you again?”

 

Max scrunches his nose.  “Why the fuck would you even want to?”

 

“E-excuse me?” David stutters.

 

“I mean, it’s not like I’m super fucking hot or anything,” he rambles, unable to stop himself from pouring.  The dam’s already open.  “And it’s not like I won you over with my  _ award winning personality, _ ” he growls disdainfully, lip curling.  “I haven’t even done anything really to fucking earn that sort of-”

 

“Max,” David interrupts, Max’s throat finally sealing painfully with how dry it’s gotten.  “Can I hold your hand?” he asks softly.  Max doesn’t meet his eyes but tentatively turns his hand over so his palm is up.  “Max, you are wonderful, and I mean that.  You’re amazing.  You’re funny, and you’re smart, and you have terrible taste in pizza, and you most certainly don’t need to  _ earn _ my... attraction to you,” he says, a sweet grin on his face.  “So I’ll say it again: can I kiss you?” he repeats, tugging Max forward shyly.

 

 “Yeah.  Definitely,” he rasps, throat dry.

 

“Are you sure?” David asks, his brow pinched and eyes rimmed red.  “Because, I don’t want you to feel obligated just because I want to, I want you to do it only if-”

 

_ “Oh, for fuck’s sake!” _  Max snarls and grabs David by his lapels.

 

Max is tired.  It’s almost one in the morning, he’s tired after having driven a three hour round trip for pizza, he’s tired because he’s running on three hours of sleep and nihilism, but most of all he’s tired of pretending to be okay with never touching David.

 

He pins David to the wooden picnic table by his vest and kisses the redhead hard.  David gasps, Max drawing his tongue in with his own in hunger; and Max  _ is  _ hungry.  He’s starved for every whimper, every helpless noise David makes in the back of his throat.  He’s starved for his gentle acceptance of Max’s wrathful bites.  He’s been starved of the warmth, the comfort, the softness that comes with contact with David.  The feeling of safety.  He desperately wants to find whatever awful part of David that thought Max would be disgusted, would hate  _ David _ of all people, and tear it out of his chest and curl up in the empty space that remains to fill him up.

 

David’s hands are so gentle on Max’s shoulders he can’t stand it.  He wrenches the hands off him with his own, pinning them above his boss’s head.  David moans loudly and cries Max’s name.  Max grins down at the wrecked man, his soft green eyes glassy and his lip bruised with a spot of blood smeared against the split.  Max’s lips curl up into a dangerous grin and he feels the redhead shiver beneath his chest.  He pulls a hand down to slip under David’s green works shirt, fingers counting each rib and tasting the fabric of the sensitive skin with his fingertips.

 

He digs his nails into David’s soft stomach, reveling in the breathless gasps he makes.  Max grins into David’s neck and bites none too gently into it, the soft skin giving way to teeth.  David writhes under him, not resisting his hands.  Max can hardly believe his ears when David’s head turns to bare his neck to the brunette with a broken cry.  He chuckles, fingers flirting with his belt.  “You like that, huh?” he growls nastily, sinking his teeth into his shoulder, subcutaneous fat giving way to a harsher bite.

 

David wails.  “M-Max…!” he pleads, wriggling against him.  He can feel David’s arousal through his khakis.  “Max, w-we gotta s-stop…”

 

Max paused in his ruthless attack.  He grumbles in reluctance.  He’s just gotten David, why the fuck would he let him go?  He slows down, kissing David’s neck sweetly in an attempt to convince him, hand releasing David’s captured hands to instead hold his waist.  David giggles, hooking a leg around Max’s, his hands being placed on his chest.  “Aw, Max…”

 

“Shut up,” he grumbles, feeling suddenly very vulnerable.  He buries his face in the redhead’s neck with a sigh, breathing in the scent of rainwater and sweat.  His hand pets David’s side slowly, and he revels in the feeling of the soft fabric of his skin.

 

David arches under the touch slowly against the hand.  “Max we should talk about this a-” he breaks off in a wide yawn.  “Oh!  Excuse me!”

 

Max guffaws into his boss’s neck.  “Am I boring you, David?  I can fix that,” he sneers, bringing a hand playfully down in a light slap against David’s thigh.

 

David jumps under the contact, yelping.  His hands spring around his shoulders and as he settles back down, one moves into Max's dark hair, running it through his fingers.  “Max!” he scolds.  Max snickers in response, nipping at the new mark on David’s neck gently.  He hums, pleased.  Wow, that did feel nice.  David starts and then yawns a second time.

 

Max breathes deeply and exhaustion begins to seep into his bones.  He had no idea how fucking tired he really was until David had yawned.  “We can talk tomorrow”.  He begrudgingly pulls up, reluctant to be free of David’s warmth.

 

David sits up between Max’s trapping arms, his own falling from Max’s shoulders.  “I suppose,” he says with a sigh.  He taps Max’s chest with his palms and Max reluctantly relents, standing up.  “Let’s go to bed”.

 

Max hums an acknowledgment and picks up his hoodie.  He pulls it on as they walk out to the counselor’s cabin.  Max sighs.  They’re going to have to deal with shit.  Putting labels on shit.  David could end up being Max’s fucking  _ boyfriend _ and the idea doesn’t scare him as much as he thought.  Rather, he feels almost excited.

 

“Coming in?” David asks, holding the door open with his foot, his hair tousled adorably.

 

Max nods, a small frown on his face.  “Yeah, just give me a minute”.

 

David nods back, smiling as though he understood everything, though Max told him next to nothing.  “Alright.  Come in soon though, it’s getting cold!”  David swung the door shut behind him after Max grunts in recognition.

 

The second David retreats into their shared room he breaks into a grin.

 

He sits down and lights up a cigarette.  Thumbing the edge of his phone, he made his decision.

 

He presses the call button.

 

The phone rings twice, before a surprised,  _ “Max?!” _ is called out.

 

Max exhales smoke and grins.  The voice soothed his ears like a balm.  “Hey, Neil”.

 

_ “Where the hell are you, man?” _

 

“I’m at Lake Lilac.  It’s fucking cold here,” he says, his throat tight; then, he laughs.  “And everything is so fucking awesome”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *files my nails* David's got a thing for biting, don't fight me on this. Max has a bit of an oral fixation. 
> 
> Do y'all nasties want smut? I'm probably gonna write some smut. Not now, but later. Soon. Also, maybe drop some ideas in the comments for what you may want to see later? I want to establish their relationship and build on it, but I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with ideas... (I'm getting an idea of where I'm going with this story and what I want for endgame, so don't worry abt that).


	11. Here's The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adjustments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, y'all are so sweet to me? I got the nicest messages these past few days, I just started fucking crying all over the goddamn place yesterday! You guys are so sweet, and it makes me so happy to know that people actually like the things I make to the point that you share them with your friends! It's a blessing to have you around, and it really makes my day to come on here, and see that there are people that love what I make.
> 
> Thank you so much for your endless support, it truly means a lot to me. <3

The next morning Max wakes up feeling lighter than he’s ever felt in his entire life.

 

He rolls out of bed to see the sun breaking through the curtains and no David in sight.  He sighs, rubbing his neck.  He tosses on a new shirt and a pair of pants and goes into the bathroom to brush his teeth when last night’s activities run through his head.

 

Fuck.  He’s not awake enough for this yet.

 

He spits into the sink and pulls his hoodie over his head.  He steps out into the camp, muddy from last night’s rain.  The air was chilly and Max shivers, tucking his face into the collar of his sweatshirt and pulling his hood up.

 

He stumbles sluggishly into the mess hall.  “Good morning Max!  I’m making breakfast,” he hears David chirp from the kitchen.  The redhead peeks through the kitchen window with a large grin on his face.  He’s wearing Max’s hoodie.  Max tiredly grumbles and reaches for the coffee machine.  Before he can pour a cup, David nudges Max’s favorite mug into his hands.  “Don’t worry, I already made you a cup”.

 

Max mumbles his thanks, taking a sip.  He sighs in pleasure feeling the first sip of coffee touch his soul.  “Mmmm,” he hums, taking a seat at the window.  “Thanks Dave,” he mumbles, resting his chin on his arms tiredly as he watches David through half-lidded eyes.

 

David blushes bright and turns back to the stove with shaking hands.  “N-no problem!  Um… how do you want your eggs?” he asks.

 

Max hums again.  “Coffee,” he replies slowly, chugging half the cup of burning liquid.

 

David sighs from the stove.  “Max.  You have to eat something!” he chides, waving his spatula scoldingly.

 

“Don’t fucking want to,” he grumbles petulantly.  “Makes me sick”.

 

David turns worriedly to him, taking the pan off the heat as Max realizes his mistake.  “What makes you sick?  Eating?”

 

Max turns away, silent.

 

“Max,” David says sternly, trying to catch Max’s eye.  “Tell me!  Is that why you don’t eat in the mornings?”

 

Max grumbles, tosses the rest of the coffee back, and reaches for the pot.  “Fuck off”.

 

David pulls the pot out of the maker and holds it away from him with his annoyingly long tree branch arms.  “No!  No coffee until you answer me!”

 

Max narrows his eyes at the redhead who returns a firm look.  “You little shit.  Fine,” he rasps, clearing his throat as he runs his hand through his hair.  “I can’t eat right after I get up, it makes me nauseous.  I just end up puking my guts out in a toilet.  Coffee’s pretty much the only thing that I can stand,” he states begrudgingly.

 

David gives him a pitying look and pours another cup for the tired man.  “Oh Max, I’m sorry…  Have you ever tried to find a cure or something to help?”

 

Max shrugs indifferently from his position on the table.  “Eh.  If I really need to eat I’ll usually down some ginger ale and that helps, but I’m already drinking coffee in the mornings and it feels weird drinking both”.

 

David hums.  “Maybe we could get you some ginger tea with caffeine… do you think you’d like that?”

 

“I’m not much for tea, David”.  He sips the burning coffee.  “I’m more of a black coffee person”.

 

David huffs and moves back to the stove.  “I’m making extra scrambled eggs anyways,” he calls back.  “Have you ever tried any tea?”

 

He thinks hard a moment.  “I had my friend Nikki’s girlfriend’s tea once.  It was pretty damn gross”.

 

“Do you know what kind it was?”

 

He shrugs.  “Green?  I don’t fuckin’ know man”.

 

David makes his way back with a pair of plates with scrambled eggs and bacon piled on.  “Well, have you tried mine?” he asks, setting the plates down carefully.

 

“No, of course not,” he replies, taking a strip of bacon and nibbling slowly on it.  Fuck it, bacon was worth a stomach ache.  "We made a 'don't touch my shit, I won't touch yours' pact at the beginning of the year, remember?"

 

David hums and nudges his cup towards him.  “Try it!  It’s nice!”

 

Max sniffs, the fruity tones soothing him already.  Fuck, it did smell nice.  “What’s in it?” he asks cautiously.

 

“It’s herbal, meaning there’s  _ no _ green tea in it!” David says with a smile, leaning his chin on his hand.  “It’s got elderberries, blackberry leaves, hibiscus…  All kinds of good stuff!”

 

Max takes another sniff, brow furrowed.  He slowly brings it up for a sip, David nodding encouragingly when he hesitates.  Max takes a mouthful.  It’s not… bad, really.  It’s weird, but it’s definitely as fruity tasting as it smells.  It’s slightly tart with a hint of an oddly wheaty sweetness bringing it back down.  “It kinda tastes like how I imagine hot Whole Foods Kool-Aid would”.

 

David throws his head back and laughs.  “That’s just all tea, Max!” he giggles.

 

Max snorts and pushes the mug back into David’s hands.  “Not terrible, I guess”.

 

David smiles and takes the mug back, digging into his eggs.  Max waits for his own stomach to settle.  “I guess we should talk about last night, huh?” David asks shyly, cheeks pink.

 

Max swallows watching the redhead’s eyelashes flutter.  “Yeah, that’s probably best,” he replies begrudgingly.

 

David coughs and sets his fork down.  He reaches out and offers his hand to Max with a patient smile.  Max flicks his eyes between David’s hand his face, before allowing his hand not holding his coffee mug to just touch the man’s fingertips, as though he were a stray dog afraid of being kicked.  David sighs sweetly at the contact, and Max swallows.  “I’m sure you could tell last night but… I really like you,” David says with a sweet smile, timidly looking into Max’s eyes.  

 

He felt his heart tighten in his chest at the soft look on the man’s face.  “I feel the same, of course,” he admits, hoping his cheeks aren’t as red as they feel.  He breaks into a salacious grin suddenly, his mood rising quickly.  “I bet you could tell when I pinned you to the table, huh?” Max says, pointing to the purple marks on David’s neck.

 

David slapped an arm over the marks, face bright red in embarrassment.  “Max!” the man scolds, his fingertips twitching against Max’s.

 

Max taps David’s fingers like piano keys in amusement, enjoying the feeling of being able to tease David without being a complete asshole like he usually did.  “Bet I could have you melting, Davey,” he growls playfully, trailing a finger down to David’s wrist.

 

David whines.  “Quit teasing me, you jerk!” he says with a pout.  “Don’t be mean”.

 

“Can’t help it,” he replies, finally pulling away to scarf down his eggs.  “It’s kinda my thing, ya know?”

 

David’s quiet a moment rubbing his fingers across the purple mark.  “Do you want to… be exclusive, then?”

 

Max looks up from his eggs and swallows.  “Are you asking me to be your fucking boyfriend?”  Even after being pinned to the wall by David, himself pinning  _ David  _ to the table, and then talking about it this morning he can still hardly believe last night was real.  It feels almost too good to be true, but he can still feel David’s fingertips burnt into his hand from the small amount of contact they had just a moment ago.

 

David winces and straightens his back as if suddenly doubtful.  “I-I mean, I would like to!  Do you?” he asks worriedly.

 

Max knocks back the last of his second mug of coffee.  “Yeah.  Yeah, I’d really like that David”.  Max grimaces, hesitantly reaching for David’s hand.  Fuck, he doesn’t know how to be sincere.  Everybody in high school spent their days awkwardly holding hands and trying to make their partners feel loved and cherished, and what did he do?  Learn how to give a handjob in public places without being noticed.  Useless, at the moment.  What the fuck was he even supposed to do?  Supposed to say?  God damn it.  “I… fuck, I think you’re-  _ dammit, _ ” he growls.  “Why is this so fucking  _ hard? _ ” he grumbles under his breath.

 

David smiles encouragingly, taking Max’s hand in both his own, staring at Max with his big angel eyes and  _ fuck _ if that isn’t the cutest shit.   _ So tell him that, asshole!  Communicate like a regular human being for once in your goddamn life! _  “It’s okay, take your time!  No rush, just tell me how you feel,” he implores eagerly.

 

Max nervously flexes his hands against David’s, both their hands in a ball.  David rubs his thumb against Max’s soothingly, like he’s done a hundred times before.  It feels different this time, somehow.  “I just-” he growls angrily to himself.  “I think you’re really fucking cute,” he mumbles.  Wrenching the words out of his mouth had felt like pulling teeth.

 

David’s cheeks pinken at the words and he breaks into a dopey, lovestruck grin.  “Aw, gee Max-” he cooed.

 

Max can feel himself blush furiously.  “Shut the fuck up!  I’m not done!” he shoots back.  “You’re… you’re probably the best person I’ve ever met,” he continues with a sigh, feeling his defenses slowly fall as he stares at their joint hands.  “You’re amazing and I’m… kind of an asshole, David, but I really do like you.  I’m sorry, I’m not really good with words,” he says slowly, feeling himself shake a bit in nervousness.

 

“Max,” he hears David say.  “Look at me,” he says firmly, leaving no room for argument.  Max drags his eyes up from their hands to look into David’s.  “I wouldn’t have offered to go out with you if I didn’t want to,” David says with a smile, giving their hands a small squeeze.  “At least we don’t have to worry about awkward first dates,” David jokes with a quiet laugh.

 

Max snorts.  “Heh, yeah.  We’re already fucking living together.  I feel like we kind of did this backwards”.

 

David giggles, green eyes alight with amusement.  “Yeah!  I guess if we really wanted to,” he says thoughtfully, “We could say that last night was our first date”.

 

Max shakes his head.  “No way!  Dates are dates, that was me taking you out for pizza to celebrate getting money out from under my shit-parent’s will!” he denies.

 

David raises an eyebrow.  “Oh yes, of course, just an employee and his boss going out for pizza after work with a lot of romantic tension in the air, talking about how well they know each other.   _ Very _ un-date-like”.

 

Max rolls his eyes and pulls his hands from David’s to take their plates to the sink, sticking his last piece of bacon in the corner of his mouth.  “Fuck off, don’t give me your sass”.  He guffaws unattractively.  “Anything else you wanted to say?”

 

“Actually, yes,” David says.  “I thought we might set some ground rules?”

 

“Rules?” asks Max curiously.

 

“Yes.  Such as: I don’t want to do anything more than… what we did yesterday,” David says with an embarrassed cough.  “Not yet, anyway”.

 

Max laughs.  “That’s a polite way of saying I pinned you to the table and gnawed on your neck like a fucking hyena”.

 

David gives a flustered shout of Max’s name.  “Come on!  Be serious!  You can give rules too!  I…” David bites his lip.  “I want you to be comfortable,” the man mumbles.

 

“I’m always comfortable around you,” Max replies without thinking.  David’s eyes lock with his, and he feels his cheeks burn.  Max sighs, thinking hard.  “The only thing I can think of right off hand is to tell me before you try to touch me.  Like I said last night.  That’s pretty much it,” he says.  “I guess I’ll tell you if I want you to stop anything”.  He stops, pausing to think a moment.  “And speaking of ‘boss’... isn’t there a rule in the handbook about dating between employees being not allowed?”

 

David chuckles and pushes himself to sit up on the counter.  “No.  Honestly, Max, it’s like you never even  _ read  _ the handbook”.

 

“Full disclosure: I haven’t.  I know all the usual ones.  Don’t beat the kids, safety first, yadda-yadda”.

 

“Max!” David scolds, stirring his tea.  “Come on!”

 

Max snorts setting the plates on the dish rack.  “ _ You _ , come on!  You can’t have thought that I would’ve read the rules?  I was a mess back then!”

 

David hums thoughtfully.  “You did look a bit… off.  You look much better now though!”  Max turns around drying his hands and biting off a bit more of his bacon.  “What  _ did  _ happen?  Before you came to Camp Campbell, Max?”

 

Max sighs.  “I don’t know if I want to tell you that yet, David”.

 

Max remembers that night very well.  It had almost felt fake in the moment, but he knew now it was very, very real.

 

David hops down from his perch and walks over to Max.  “Max,” he asks, staring deeply into Max’s eyes.  “Can I hug you?”

 

Max swears his heart stops beating.  “Y-yeah, okay,” he stutters out.  This is it.  This is the fucking moment.

 

It's better than he ever could have imagined in a thousand years.  David’s arms circle around his waist.  His _boyfriend_ hugs him gently, his warmth bleeding in through his hoodie.  He smells like tea and breakfast.  Like sweat and pine trees.  Max hesitantly moves his hands around the man’s middle.   _ This is so much better than a shirt. _  The thought springs to him unbidden.  Now that he’s thinking about it, he won’t ever wonder what it would be like to hug David ever again.  Now he  _ knows.   _ He bites his lip, fighting tears away.  He's not going to fucking  _cry_ on David, he's opened up enough today, and he's not about to let him know how much this means to him.  He won't give David that ammunition against him, not now, and maybe not ever.  He squeezes his eyes closed in rebellion against the tears and holds David tighter, trembling with oversensitivity.

 

David sighs, nuzzling his nose into Max’s hair as Max tucks his face hesitantly into the man's neck.  “Listen, whatever it is, I won’t judge you.  If we’re going to be together, we need to trust each other.  I’d trust you with everything I have, and I need you to do the same”.  Max pulls away a bit, opening his mouth to offer a rebuttal that trusting _Max_ of all people is the stupidest thing David could do  _ ever,  _ but David cuts him off.  “I won’t press you for it now, but I need you to know that you can trust me,” David says firmly, pulling away fully, leaving Max reeling.  “And I need  _ you _ to know, in turn, that I trust you to tell me when you’re ready.  Now:” David says with a clap, “We’ve got to clean our cabin today.  I was going to do it last night, but instead, we went out for pizza”.

 

Max stands still, stunned by the sudden lack of contact.  His body felt as though it were buzzing on some sort of runner’s high.  He swallows, wanting David back with his arms around him once again.  “Aw, what?” he groans, coming back to himself with a frown.

 

David wags a finger at him.  “No arguments!  We can split the chores like we did at the beginning of the year, do you remember?” he says, walking out the door of the mess hall.

 

Max follows with a nod, cursing under his breath.  “Don’t think because we’re dating now that you have me pussy whipped,” he growls, stepping on David’s heels petulantly.

 

David laughs, tripping a bit.  He turns slightly to catch Max’s eye, his own sparkling with mischief.  “Goodness, I certainly hope not!  But I’d also hope that you’d clean the bathroom better!”

 

Remorseless, Max trips David.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving I guess. I hope your racist/homophobic/transphobic relatives you're forced to see this year aren't as fucking annoying as shit this year. I don't really have to deal with homophobia (my grandmas and my aunts are lesbians and bisexuals respectively) but they are pretty bigoted, and sometimes make transphobic remarks around me, the kid who's trans friend commit s*icide two years ago so :) it's :) a :) treat. :) I wouldn't really have to deal with homophobia anyways since I don't know my sexuality? Still fucking annoying as shit tho. (holla in the comments if ur sexually confused too, I feel like I'm the only one :/ )
> 
> Please leave a comment, I love hearing from you! It'll help me endure Thanksgiving at my grandmas' a little easier.


	12. Don't Look At Me Like That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clean up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a tumblr! Find me at beastfeast87.tumblr.com :)  
> Feel free to ask any questions about Herringbone or whatever if you like! Thanks for all the sweet comments, I <3 you all! fuckin BLESS
> 
> ALSO PLEASE LOOK AT WHAT SHERRIFBUDDY DREW FOR ME THEY ARE AMAZING AND WONDERFUL ONE OF MY FAVORITE FAN ARTISTS MADE ART OF MY FIC??? I LOVE IT MORE THAN I LOVE AT LEAST 20 OTHER THINGS!!!! http://sherrifbuddy.tumblr.com/post/167916359473/some-moody-counselor-max-doodles-aaand-the-bottom
> 
> Sherrif, if you're reading this, thank you so much!

The week goes by slowly, David and Max cleaning up after the now mostly dead camp.  David had done most of the heavy lifting with Max routinely cleaning up and pushing everything back to its original place.

 

Most of their time was spent getting the camp ready for the winter months and cleaning up.  After the long days, Max just fell into his bed and relaxed, David on his own bed playing guitar or doing a word puzzle.  It was mostly the same.  They held hands about as much as before.  The only real change was that he could pin David to the wall whenever he wanted (something he indulged in, cautiously) and got a kiss on the forehead with his coffee in the morning.  It was a bit unnerving for Max.  It was as though he were waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 

“We should go on a date!”

 

Ah.  There it was.

 

Max looks up from where he’s been mopping.  David sits cross-legged on the top of the last picnic table that hadn’t been stacked away for storage where he writes studiously.  “What?”

 

“Yeah, like a real date!” David says tapping his pen to his chin thoughtfully.

 

“Are you asking me, or telling me?” Max says impetuously, pushing the soapy water around the floor.  God, he should have seen this fucking coming.  Of course David would want to go out, that’s what normal people did.

 

David blushes and with a guilty smile, he asks, “Would you like to go on a date with me, Max?”

 

“No”.  

 

David gives him a crestfallen look.  “Oh”.

 

Max rolls his eyes.  “Yes.  That was a joke”.

 

David immediately brightens.  “Oh!” He smiles down at the papers.  “Good!  Um… what would you like to do?  We could go to dinner-”.

 

“I’m not really the wine-and-dine type, David.  Take me to anything fancier than an Applebee’s and I’ll get us thrown out”.  David pulls his feet up as Max bends to clean underneath the table.

 

“Oh, come on!  It’ll be fun!”

 

“Trust me, David.  Just trust me on this”.  He didn’t want a repeat of the Blind Fish incident.  He still had the plates he and Nikki stole.  He wonders if she still had the oyster fork ring she made for the two of them by bending and warping the metal.  His fingers were too big for his, so he kept it on his keys.

 

David hums in confusion.  “Alright… what about a movie then?  We were just talking about seeing that murder mystery that came out”.

 

It was true, they had talked about seeing it a month before when David ran up to ask Max if he would see it with him.  It didn’t look bad, but Max was feeling particularly lazy.  He gives a long, suffering sigh.  “Do we really have to go out for a date?  I’d rather just fuck around here, really”.

 

“Well, we don’t have to,” says David as Max drops the mop back into the bucket.  “I just thought it would be fun to go and do something.  We only really stay in here, you know?”

 

Max sighs, stretching his arms above his head.  He rolls his shoulder, the bones in his back popping with a grunt.  “That’s true, I guess.  Never really thought about it.  There’s not a whole lot to do in Sleepy Peak though,” he muses, taking a seat between David’s knees and leaning his head back on top of David’s papers.

 

David chuckles good-naturedly and runs his fingers through Max’s hair reverently.

 

Oh.  Oh damn, that felt good.  He closed his eyes with an approving hum, trying to concentrate on not pulling away and enjoying the contact he’d always craved, his body twitching in resistance.  He desperately wanted to enjoy these touches, but anything more than David holding his hand felt so foreign.  Despite how good it felt, Max felt his body constantly twitching away, instincts screaming alarms, although he knew he was safe.

 

“Max?” David asks quietly.

 

Max grunts in response.

 

“I feel kind of… awkward asking you out even though we’re boyfriends now.  Is that weird?” he wonders out loud.

 

Max swallows, a lump forming in his throat.  “Nah, I feel weird about being in a relationship.  I don’t think it’s because of you, it’s probably just since I’ve never, like, seriously dated someone,” he admits, wrenching the words from his mouth.  They taste like bile, but it’s the truth.

 

“Really?” David quietly inquires above him.  The hand in his hair stills.  

 

“...Yeah”.  He swallows again.  “I kinda feel like I might fuck up no matter what I do,” he admits again.

 

“...You’re being very honest right now,” David comments above him, rubbing his curls again.  “It’s a bit unusual for you”.

 

Max sighs.  “Are you calling me a liar?” he says with a frown, cracking an eye open.

 

David shakes his head quickly.  “Of course not!  You just don’t ever seem to want to talk”.

 

Max sits up with a sigh, the contact with his scalp too distracting.  He turns to face David and rests his elbows on the table.  “About what?” he asks curiously.

 

David shrugs above him, shuffling the papers out of the way for Max’s elbows.  “About anything, really.  You never-” he coughs, avoiding eye contact.  “You never really let me in your head?”  Max goes quiet a moment and David fumbles his words above him.  “I- I don’t mean-”

 

“No,” Max says flatly, jaw tight.  “You’re right”.  He frowns.  “I’m not… I’m not good with words,” he admits.  “And I’ve never had a steady relationship before,” he bites out.  “I don’t fucking know what to do”.

 

“O-oh,” David says faintly above him.

 

“Yeah,” Max agrees empathetically.  “So just, I don’t know, tell me if I’m fucking something up or not?” he finishes quickly.

 

“Sure,” says David, voice tight.  “I can do that!  I didn’t realize, Max.  Why didn’t you just tell me?”

 

Max huffs in annoyance.  “Are you fucking serious?  I don’t want you looking at me like that,” he grumbles, looking up at David’s pitying expression.  A ball of anger rises in his gut.  “Like that!” he snaps.  “I’m twenty-four, I shouldn’t have so much god damn trouble telling people what my fucking deal is”.  He pushes his palms into his eye sockets until he sees sparks of light behind his eyelids.

 

He feels David hesitantly place his hands on his shoulders.  “Max,” he says quietly.  “It’s okay not to know things”.

 

“Not when you’re supposed to know them,” he growls, anger dying and slowly replaced with a sense of crushing vulnerability and doubt.

 

David’s hands gave a firm squeeze.  “No,  _ especially _ then!  I don’t expect you to know everything, Max, just to do your best”.

 

Max pulls his hands away from his face and stares blankly into David’s.  “That might not be enough,” he warns.  It never has been before, he doesn’t see why it would be now.

 

David gives him a sweet smile and his stomach squirms.  “How about you let me decide that instead of condemning yourself early, okay?  Now,” he says grin growing wide, “What do you want to watch tonight for our date?  We could watch that one about the summer camp you brought back with you that we haven’t seen yet.  I can make dinner and we can eat in front of the TV,” David offers, fingers rising to twirl in his hair at the nape of his neck.

 

Max sighs, his skin crawling.  David runs his nails across his scalp making him shiver.  He needs a haircut.  When was the last time he even had one?  What movie had he brought back?  He frowned, thinking hard.  A summer camp…

 

A lightbulb went on, and his grin grew wide and mean.  Oh, that was definitely a good idea.  “Sure, David,” he said with a purr, turning around and placing his hands on either side of David on the table.  

 

David gave a nervous smile above him.  “Ah.  Um, okay.  What do you want for dinner?”

 

Max hums, tapping his fingers thoughtfully.  “What do we have?”

 

David taps his pen to the table.  “Hmm.  Good question,” the redhead replies with a mumble, tapping Max so he could scoot off the table.  He walked into the kitchen, checking the cold room.  “We have those ribs!” he called distantly.  “We could have those if I start the smoker now, but then you’d have to do the canoes by yourself…” he trailed off.

 

Max grimaced.  “Yeah, that’s a ‘hell no’.  I am not stacking all those fucking boats by myself”.

 

“Alright, well…”  Max heard David rummage around a bit more.  “What about pot roast?  We can just leave it alone for the rest of the day and eat it over the next few days?  How does that sound?”

 

Max nods before he remembers David can’t see him.  “Sounds good, babe.  The wine’s in the cupboard above the fridge, I had to hide it again before the kids left,” he calls, listening as David fumbles around.

 

Jeez.  He hadn’t thought about the kids in a while.  He wondered how they were.  Probably being hellbeasts at home and causing as much havoc there as they did here.  He felt his chest ache slightly.  Shaking his head and brushing the feelings aside, he stood up.  “I’ll meet you at the dock,” he called, the papers from before catching his eye.

 

“Okay!  Meet you in a second!”

 

Max stared down at the papers.  Is that…  “David?” he called slowly.

 

“Yes?” he called back from the kitchen.

 

“Are you doing paperwork in fucking glitter pen?”

 

“...No”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> david is absolutly the sort of guy to sign legal documents with glitter gel pen, don't fight me on this.
> 
> drop a comment and tell me what you think, i love hearing from you guys!! :)


	13. Believers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “To just be told by someone that you can trust that everything’s going to be okay… wouldn’t that be nice?” 
> 
>  
> 
> -Davey Wreden  
> The Beginner’s Guide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm going to be moving soon. It's going to take a while, and I'll work to keep the updates coming, but if I don't update one week, then you know the reason. 
> 
> This contains spoilers for the original Friday The 13th movie but if you haven't seen that movie yet, it's your fault, it's been out for, what, almost 30 years now?
> 
> Anyways, enjoy the date!

Max fumbles with the VHS tape, trying to rewind it.  God, how did he cope as a kid?  It was so fucking annoying having to rewind all the rentals that people didn’t before they sent them back.  He’d always have to look away from the screen to avoid spoilers too…

 

David padded in, bowls in hand.  “Everything all set?” he asks, setting the steaming bowls down on the coffee table.

 

“Yeah, it’s almost done rewinding,” he replies, turning to look at him.  “Dude, what are you still wearing your clothes for?”

 

David looks down at his work uniform with a frown.  “What?  What’s wrong with it?”

 

“You put your work clothes back on after showering?  That’s fucking nasty, dude, and that’s coming from the guy that didn’t shower for a month, once,” he said with a sneer.  He himself was wearing his flannel lounge pants and his hoodie.  The nights got cold quickly in Sleepy Peak, he was fast to learn and wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to get cozy.

 

“Why didn’t you shower for a month?!” David cried, face twisted in revulsion.

 

“Depression and college”.  Max points to David’s half of the room.  “Go get your sleep shit on, I’ll wait,” he says, checking the rewind point.

 

David huffs and gives a dramatic, “Fine”.

 

Max hears him rifle through his drawers, the small sound of fabric hitting the floor catching his ears.  He bites his lip, resisting the urge to turn around and stare.  The closest he’d ever come to seeing David naked was July 12th, when it was the hottest day of the year.  David had even canceled that day’s activities so the two of them could lay in bed with the fans on, in nothing but their underwear.  That day, Max not only learned that David was a briefs boy but also learned he had dinosaurs on them.

 

“Okay,” David said, sinking onto the couch behind him.  Max turned to see David curled in his usual spot around his bowl of stew in Max’s hoodie and a pair of flannel pajama pants with a soft blanket around his shoulders.  “Everything okay?” he asked with a smile.

 

Max swallowed and nodded, realizing the tape had finished rewinding.  “Yeah, just give me a moment,” he said, pushing himself up with a grunt.  He grabbed the remote on his way up, falling into the couch with a huff.  “So, this movie’s pretty old, so the acting’s shitty and the camera shots are garbage, but that’s what makes it really funny”.

 

“So bad, it’s good?” David inquires taking a slurp of his bowl.

 

Max nods.  “Yeah.  You’ll see in a second,” he says, pressing play.  Max grinned as the tense music of Friday The 13th slowly kicked up.

 

This was going to be fun.

  
  


* * *

 

  


This was so much fucking fun.

 

David was physically incapable of being quiet during movies at home.  Max used to be annoyed, but now he just found it hilarious, as long as he wasn’t invested.  The redhead jumped and gasped with each sharp noise and bloody reveal.  His boyfriend had slowly pulled his blanket around himself for comfort, shaking all the while.

 

David shrieked as an arrow plunged straight through Kevin Bacon’s neck, fake blood pouring from the wound.  Max cackled.  “No, not Kevin Bacon!” David whined from behind his blanket.

 

Max snorted.  “I know, right?  The funniest thing is that, like, the killer had to be under the bed the whole time while they were having sex,” he said in amusement, as David turned to him and away from the gore with an amused expression.  “So that means they were having sex under a dead body, and the killer was waiting for them like ‘Goddamnit, are they done yet?  Hurry up and cum already, Kevin’”.

 

To his surprise, David laughed.  “I didn’t even think of that!”  The blanket fell from his head, his hair mussed and fluffy.  God, that was such a soft look.  David turned, chuckling.  He smiled, looking at him curiously.  “What’s that look for?” he teases.

 

Max realizes he’d been staring.  “Nothing,” he says.  He grimaced, realizing he should probably say something nice.  That’s what couples did right?  “You just look really cute like this,” he grumbles, feeling his face heating.

 

David blushes, giving Max a sly look.  “Aw, thank you!” he cooed.  “But you look even cuter!”

 

Holy fucking shit.  “What the fuck?!  No!” he hears himself shout.  “This isn’t even a fucking competition, asshole!”

 

His boyfriend gives him an amused look, startled at his outburst.  “Why are you yelling?”

 

 _Because turning my emotions into anger is the only way I can process them._  Max crosses his arms and turns his head away, huffing with his brows furrowed.

 

“Hey,” David says softly next to him as if to get his attention.  Max grunts, and hesitantly turned to him.  David scoots closer and drapes half of his blanket around Max’s shoulders, the fabric deliciously warm with David’s body heat.  

 

Max sighs, and David presses close to him, leaning his head on his shoulder.  David’s lips brush against his bared neck, soft as butterfly wings.  Max shivers.  “Sorry I’m not good at this,” he whispers, almost hoping David wouldn’t hear him.  He thinks he’s apologized to David more than he’s ever apologized for anything and everything else in his entire life.

 

He skin crawls.  God, he can _feel_ David’s lips curl into a smile against his neck.  They press against his skin in small kisses, the tiny noise just barely heard over the movie’s screams.  “It’s okay,” he replies quietly.  “You’re doing your best, and I like you all the same,” he says sweetly.

 

God, he doesn’t deserve this man.  “You’re so fucking sweet, how are you even real?” he rasps, his chest tight.

 

David gives a breathy laugh, and he shivers at the feeling of hot breath against one of the most vulnerable parts of his body.  “I promise, I’m real”.  He smiles against Max’s neck, nuzzling affectionately into him as he pulls his legs up and over Max’s.  David turns back to the movie, pressed against Max’s side, leaving him dizzy.  He feels David jump against him as a woman screamed, and pressed closer to his side.  “Why did you pick such a scary movie?” he whines.

 

Max chuckles shakily.  God, he’s so fucking _warm._  “Dude,  Friday The 13th  is _not_ scary.  It’s super fucking bad, how can you get scared by that?”  Indeed, the acting was atrocious, unhelped by the terrible camera shots.

 

David huffs.  “I don’t like blood!  Can we watch something without it next time?”  

 

Max forces his thoughts away from the long legs on top of him.  “If you want,” he concedes begrudgingly.  He hesitantly curls an arm around David, thinking hard.  Did he even know any movies that didn’t have blood in it?  David settles into Max’s side, his hand on Max’s chest.  He hopes he can’t feel how fast it’s beating.  He watches Mrs. Vorhees slap the shit out of one of the half-naked hysterical women and can’t help but cackle.  “God, this movie is so overdramatic”.

 

David hums below him, his hair tickling Max’s chin.  “It is pretty bad acting,” he admits, snuggling closer.

 

“This is Nikki’s favorite scene,” he says without thinking.

 

“Who’s Nikki?” David asks curiously.

 

Max feels his face slip into his neutral scowling expression.  “...My friend,” he admits.

 

“Really?  I never see you on the phone,” David asks looking up at him.  His eyes get wide at his expression.  “Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah,” he says without thinking.  Is he, though?  He swallows, stomach painfully tight.  

 

Max has always prided himself on his independence.  He never needed his parents to love him, let alone give a shit.  He never needed to have someone teach him how to cook.  He never needed someone to teach him how to do laundry.  He never needed someone to defend him from the world.    Most of all, he didn’t need someone to be his friend.  Max just figured it out on his own, and he’s been figuring it out as long as he could remember.  He did _just fucking fine on his own._

 

At least, that’s what he told himself.  He hasn’t talked to anyone he knew from before since he’d driven into the camp on accident.  Max knows this isn’t healthy, as much as he ignores it.  He takes a deep, shaking breath.

 

“Max?”

 

_“You’re a good person, Max”._

 

But he’s not.  He knows he’s not.  A good person wouldn’t have lit his mother’s couch on fire.  A good person wouldn’t have fought so hard for attention from people he didn’t even fucking like.  A good person wouldn’t lie to themselves so damn often and push people away like he did.  A good person would acknowledge the truth.

 

The truth was that he really fucking missed his friends.

 

“She and Neil are… we _were_ really close,” he says quietly.  David pulls his legs off Max’s and sits up, taking his hand in his.  He already misses the soothing warmth and pressure.

 

“Used to be?”  It’s a question, and Max isn’t ready to answer it.  He might never be ready to answer it, but he needs to.  He fucking _needs_ to, or he’s going to die.  “What happened?”

 

He focuses on breathing slow and steady.  He has trouble meeting David’s soft green eyes.  “I came here,” he replies.

 

“...That’s it?” he asks, astonished.  He pushes close and Max glances at him, soon finding he has trouble looking away.  “Why didn’t you keep talking to them?”

 

Max shrugs, looking down.  “I think it was a lot of things,” he says slowly.  He needs to say it.  He needs to admit it; but not here, and not David.  “I want to see them,” he says, looking at David, and squeezes his hand in his own.  “I told Neil I’d come visit soon”.

 

“Well, that’s a good thing, isn’t it?” David says, smiling small.  “You want to be their friend again, right?”

 

He did.  He really did.  “They’re really mad at me.  I fucked off for half a year and didn’t even fucking say anything”.  He looked away.  “I’m a major cunt, David”.

 

“Oh, Max,” David sighed, quietly.  “You aren’t a…  You aren’t like _that._  Look,” he meets David’s eyes, the green orbs brimming with sincerity.  “Do you miss them?”

 

Max nods.  “All the time, yeah”.

 

“And do you feel bad about it?” he prompts.

 

“Of fucking course I do”.

 

“Then tell them that!” he says, nudging Max’s knee.  “Tell them how bad you feel!  How much you miss them!”

 

Max’s jaw flexes.  He bites his tongue until he feels blood well.  “What if they hate me,” he whispers.  Logically, he knows Neil doesn’t hate him.  He wouldn’t have talked to him and asked him to come for game night if he hated him.  Nikki wouldn’t have left him such long voicemails asking where he was and telling him what was going on with her and Nerris if she hated him.  They don’t hate him, but he can’t help the trickle of fear that rolls down his spine, like the cold sweat of a nightmare.

 

“They won’t,” David says firmly.  “They’re your friends”.

 

Max nods slowly.  “Yeah.  I know,” he replies quietly.

 

David is quiet a moment, rubbing his thumb against Max’s hand like he has a hundred times before.  “It’ll be okay”.

 

Max has to believe him.  There’s nothing else he can do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they are the light of my life! tell me any predictions you have, or shoot an ask to me at beastfeast87.tumblr.com! :)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	14. Teeth Of Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It is here, in the bedroom, that we are at our most vulnerable. Each night, we shut our senses to the world for hours at a time, trusting in the house to keep us safe until next we wake. In this state of extreme vulnerability, we will spend something like 20% of our lives. Anything might stand beside us, watch us, keep us company until dawn, and we would never perceive it. We can only pray that the house will not let such things carry on as we sleep. In this way, during these hours, the bedroom seems less like a mind, and more like a mouth. For it is here that we place ourselves most at the house’s mercy, and spend each night hoping that it will not bite down”.
> 
> -ANATOMY  
> Kitty Horrorshow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh the most empowering thing that's happened with this fic is people commenting that they don't like maxvid but like my story and keep reading, it despite it not being their ship. like, that's the dream. getting so good at writing i'm luring people in like a deranged siren that writes sad gays.

Max cracks open his eyes blearily.  His alarm clock reads **2:27 AM** , mocking him.  Max sighs quietly and rolls onto his back.  God, he hates his brain.  Why the hell did it decide to wake him up?  He hears an odd sound as he closes his eyes, trying to will his brain back to sleep.  He’s almost there, when he hears it again.  An odd, quivering gasp of a sound.   _What the hell is that?_ He opens his eyes, rubbing them clear and looks about the dark room.  There’s an odd shape on the floor shaking, and it doesn’t appear to be his backpack.  He flicks on the light, illuminating a man curled in on himself with his head hidden by his arms, shivering on the floor in a pair of sleep shorts and shirt, a sleep hat clenched in their hand.  “David?”

 

David looks up in surprise with a gasp, face wet and red.  “Oh, Max!  I’m sorry, I didn’t- I hadn’t meant to wake you up”.  He scrubs his face with his hat, wiping tears away quickly, trying to compose himself.

 

“Why are you here, dude, are you okay?” he asks, still not understanding what’s happening, but alarmed at the sight of his boyfriend in tears.

 

David pushes himself up.  “I’m sorry, I’ll just go-”

  


“No, dammit, that’s not what I meant,” he rasps, clearing his throat and getting a grip on David’s shirt.  “What’s wrong?  Are you okay?”

 

“It’s nothing- I just had a nightmare, that’s all- stupid really,” he replies hastily, face dry now and giving a weak smile.

 

“Do you, like, want to talk about it?” he asks hesitantly.  He has no idea what to do with this.  He never went to his parents with nightmares, rarely called up his friends, and never to cry about it.  He usually just sat in his room alone, waiting for dawn to come through the window.

 

“I-” David swallows hesitantly.  He sits down on the edge of his bed, Max releasing him.  “It’s dumb, I don’t even remember most of them,” he rushes, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.  Max sits up, nodding to himself.  “Sorry for bothering you, you don’t usually wake up-” he rambles, before clamping his jaw shut, his eyes wide.

 

Max’s brow wrinkles in astonishment.  “You’ve done this before?”

 

David looks down at his hands, shoulders hunched.  David’s face is carefully submissive, and it pulls some sort of pin in Max's mind.  It takes years to create that sort of mask.  It takes practice.  It’s the face of someone that’s been shamed so many times over something they have no control over, that they’ve simply adapted to prepare for the inevitable mockery.  It makes bile rise in Max’s throat.  “Sometimes.  I don’t want to bother you, so I sit on the floor”.

 

“Why?”

 

David shrugs, avoiding his eyes.  “I like to hear you breathe,” he whispers.  “I don’t want to be alone”.

 

It’s the final straw for him.  He pushes himself up closer and opens his arms hesitantly.  David looks down at the open arms and then back to Max's face.  He flings himself into them with reckless abandon, tears flowing once again.  Max sighs, an odd relish rising in his chest at the feeling of David so weak and defenseless in his arms, so warm and soft and _oh so vulnerable._  “What are they about?” he asks, the next logical question.

 

“I don't remember them all,” he says, sniffling, his face buried in Max’s shoulder.  “Sometimes I’m alone in the forest, and it feels like something’s coming after me, but I can’t get out”.  David quivers in his arms, Max hesitantly rubbing a hand against his back in a mimicry of what he’s seen in movies.  Is he doing it right?  He hopes he’s doing it right.  “But sometimes,” David continues, clutching Max desperately, “I’m zip tied back in that chair,” he sobs.  Max’s heart plummets.  “And you’re on the floor, and- and you aren’t _moving,_ and-” his voice breaks, holding desperately close.

 

God, no wonder David sat close to him at night, listening to him breathe.  He hadn’t even thought about how Daniel might have affected David, he always assumed he got over it like he had.  He should have known that their situations weren’t the same.  “I’m sorry, babe,” he tries to say soothingly.  It comes out crackling with the remnants of sleep.

 

David nuzzles close, body slowly settling against Max’s.  He’s so warm, so close.  Max’s heart beats faster.  “Max?” he whimpers, shivering.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I love you,” David whispers, clutching Max close as if he might run away.

 

Max’s body freezes, stunned.  His mouth is dry.

 

Ever since Max has been born, his life has been quantified by his use and utility.  He was born because his parents tried to use him as a crutch to fix their crippled marriage.  He’d been born so that he could continue the family line.  He’d been born to inherit his parent’s name and money, and to continue their “success”.  He was only as good as the benefits he provided to other people and that was it, and for a while, he tried.  He tried to be the good kid.  He always got the top grades, always listened to his mother while she bitched and groaned about her clients, telling him how to work the world around him so he could get ahead and fucking win like he was born to; but none of that ever satisfied them.  He was an eternal disappointment in every job, every task, every dinner party he endured, forcing himself to learn ballroom until his feet were raw and bleeding so he could get a glimpse of praise he’d never earn, and the second he rebelled against everything he was born into, he became worthless and was tossed aside like a lame horse that couldn’t plow.

 

But David had never asked Max to be anything other than what he was.  He asked why, and he asked how, and he asked him to look at things differently, offered to help him change if Max wanted to, but he seemed completely content with being around Max, even at his worst.  David had just confirmed that he loved him, and it was all he could have ever asked for.

 

Max dips his head down and kisses David hard.  It’s savage and desperate, but it’s all he has to give.  He pulls away finally, David’s eyes flickering open and eyelashes sparkling with shed tears.  “I love you too,” he whispers finally.  Max knows it’s true.  It’s impossible _not_ to love someone like David.

 

David bites his lip, eyes flickering away and back to Max’s eyes.  “Can I please stay here tonight?”

 

Well.  He can't say no to that face.  Max nods numbly, shuffling wordlessly over and laying on his back.

 

David hesitantly lays down against Max’s side, his hand resting on Max’s heart and his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder.  Max shivers at the complete sense of warmth and turns the lamp off.  Max tries to settle, the feeling of being laid on distinctly uncomfortable, yet cozy.  He presses his nose to David’s hair and breathes in his scent, biting his lip.  He rests his hand between David’s shoulder blades hesitantly.

 

“Max?” whispers David.  “Are you still awake?”

 

Max snorts.  “No, I fell asleep in ten seconds, thanks for fucking asking”.

 

He feels David’s frame shake with silent laughter.  “You’re _so_ funny, ha ha,” he replies sarcastically.

 

“What’s up?”

 

David nuzzles into his collar like a dog searching for attention.  “I’m glad you said it back”.

 

Max feels his brow raise in the dark.  “Did you think I wouldn’t?”

 

David shifts slightly.  “I don’t know.  I have a hard time reading you, sometimes.  You can be so full of surprises when you want to be”.

 

Max hums in response.  “Is that a bad thing?”  He tries not to sound anxious.

 

“No, of course not!  I love that you can surprise me,” he replies quickly.  There’s a pause, and Max finds himself yawning, exhaustion settling into his bones as David pulls the heavy blanket over them.  “Goodnight, Max”.

 

“Mm.  Night,” he mumbles.

  
  
  


* * *

 

  
  


He wakes to the feeling of something warm and soft squirming in his arms.  He frowns and clutches the warmth closer with an unhappy grunt.  “Max, let me go!” the warm bundle whines.  He growls and holds tighter, resisting.  He grumbles sleepily and nuzzles into the soft scent.  “Max!  I have to go start breakfast!” the voice whines.

 

Max blinks his eyes open blearily and sees David struggling weakly with his arms around the redhead.  He swallows, mouth dry from the sight and sleep.  “Sorry,” he rasps, rolling onto his back, and away from the warmth.  He’d gotten so used to David’s body next to his that he craved the touches, longed for the warmth when his boyfriend was away.  It was an awful sense of dependency that made him feel weak, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything.

 

_“I love you”._

 

God, they _had_ said it.  It felt like a dream.

 

“It’s okay,” replied David, snapping Max’s attention to the redhead.  “Thanks for letting me sleep here,” he said with a blush.  A shy smile split the man’s face.  “Do you… would you mind if we slept together more?”

 

Max’s mind went blank.  He hadn’t even considered _more_ times.  It wasn’t that he’d considered sleeping next to David a one-time-deal, he just hadn’t considered that there would me more times after.  He should have, that’s what normal couples did, right?  Slept next to each other?  He comes back to reality and realizes that he still hasn’t given David an answer, and the man looks anxious at the lack of response.  “Yeah, if that’s what you want,” he grumbles, rubbing his eyes as he lays back.

 

“Is that what _you_ want?” David asks above him.  “I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, I know it’s dumb to still get nightmares when you’re twenty-four…”  He can hear the man’s embarrassed blush from here.

 

“Nah, shit happens.  I get it,” he replies, trying to seem unbothered.  He hoped that blonde bastard was having fun playing prison bitch, wherever he ended up.  “You can sleep with me”.

 

“If you’re sure…” David replied, sounding unsure himself.  “You… make me feel very safe,” David admits.  Max cracks an eye open, watching David smile shyly in the orange hues of the morning light.  His hair was rumpled and stuck up at odd angles.  “It’s nice”.

 

He couldn’t help a smug grin that only grew bigger with pride.  His chest burned hot with satisfaction.  He hummed, blinking slow and enjoying his lazy morning.

 

“Well, I’m getting up.  I’ve still got a lot to do today!” David said, trotting over to his side and opening his drawers.

 

Max hums in acknowledgement, watching him closely.  “How do you do it?” he asks, looking as David pulls his sleep shirt off, revealing a back smattered in freckles.   _Cute._  

 

He turns to Max, eyes wide with curiosity.  “Do what, Max?” he questions, tugging his new shirt on.

 

Max frowns, sits up a bit by his elbows.  “Just get out of bed like, ‘Yup!  Another day!  Time to do things!  Ready to live!’  I don’t get it”.

 

David’s expression falters a moment and turns thoughtful, before stiffening with resolve.  “Well,” he says smiling.  “It is hard sometimes, but… then I think of the kids, and how they need me.  If I don’t get out of bed, they won’t get to have fun, and I won’t be able to help them get prepared for the real world, and I wouldn’t get to see you either.  It’s a whole bunch of things, really.  I try to keep in mind what’s important and I just get excited!” he explains, fumbling hilariously as he tries to tug a clean pair of shorts on.  David cracks his belt before buckling it.  He checks the mirror, frowning.  “I should shave,” he mumbles.

 

“Huh,” Max says.

 

“Huh, indeed,” David confirms.  “Are ya ready to go, Max?” he asks, standing back up, hands on his hips and a wide smile splitting his face.

 

Max thinks about hearing David sing in the shower.  He thinks about snatching his old camp shirt and holding it just out of reach, as David whined for it.  He thinks about showing the kids how to sing for music camp with David, himself badly playing the shitty toy keyboard the camp had, and David smiling with pride at him, while the kids hit each other with rolled up music sheets.  “Yeah.  Just give me a minute,” he said, groaning and he sat up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha i love SUFFERING
> 
> how about a question this chapter? What made you click and read this fic? Are you here for the touch starved plot? Here for the slow burn? Waiting patiently for David and Max to raw like animals? Tell me in the comments!
> 
> Thanks for reading and commenting, I love hearing from you all! <3


	15. Dust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things are best left forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to be moving around Christmas time so, unfortunately, I won't be updating then. You can expect about 3 or 4 more chapters before a small 10 day or so hiatus while I move and get settled.
> 
> Also, I made a playlist for this fic on Spotify! Find it here: https://open.spotify.com/user/h5msgu4xcb24l3jzd7x16o12y/playlist/09zKWWCRrfxAXfJBmWNeP5
> 
> Thank you for the lovely comments, They are the light of my life in these trying times. Have a happy holidays everyone! :)

“Are you sure you don’t want to swim?” David asks from his spot, water flecked against his face and his hair slicked back.

 

Max hums from his drier spot on a pool mattress, adjusting his shades.  “Yeah, m’good,” he replies quietly, the sun warming his bones.  “I’m enjoying the view enough as it is”.

 

David smiles and looks out at the lakeside.  “Yes, it is a beautiful day!  It’s been so cold lately, I was surprised by how warm it was when I got up!”  Max gives a suffering sigh.  God, his boyfriend is stupid.  He leans back soaking up more rays of sunshine.  He should start thinking about what he should pack for Nikki’s house for game night.  As he forms a list in his mind, David swims up close, and lays his head on his arms at Max’s side on the float.  David closes his eyes slowly, smiling contentedly.  “Hey,” David whispers.  “What’s going on in that head of yours, Honey?”

 

Max snorts, shoving his hand into David’s face.  “First of all: don’t call me that, dipshit.  Second: I’m thinking about what I should bring to Nikki’s place,” he replies, watching David whines and squirms against his hand.

 

“Stop it!” David whines, pushing on the floating mattress.  “I’ll tip you!” he threatens playfully, his face a sneaky smile under Max’s palm.

 

Max pauses, pulling his lips back in a snarl.  “Don’t you fucking dare!” he snaps.  

 

David giggles and shakes the float some more.  “Oh no!  Don’t fall, Max!  Better be careful!”

 

Max wobbled dangerously, his muscles tight in an effort to stay balanced against the onslaught of movement.  “David, I’ll murder you in your sleep, I swear to God!” Max yells, pushing harder against the redhead’s face.  “I’ll push a pillow over your face until you stop squirming, and bury you under the floorboards, and no one will remember you!  I swear to fucking god!”

 

“Whoopsie!” David shrieks gleefully, pushing the mattress over, dunking Max into the lukewarm lake water.

 

Max breaks the surface with a gasp, feeling weighed down a bit by his shirt.  David’s playful grin quickly turns to an anxious one as soon as he saw his boyfriend’s snarl.  “Hey  _ David _ ,” he purred, leering.  “Want to see something cool?”

 

David steps back slowly, nervously grinning, his eyes lit with a fear that boiled Max’s blood.  “No, no, I’m fine,” he says, waving his hands appeasingly.

 

“No, no, it’ll be alright,” he purrs, advancing like a shark.

 

“Oh, it’s fine I’m really okay, I- AH!” David shrieks.

 

Max slapped his hand to the water, splashing it into David’s eyes.  As he flailed, he jumped to push the man, and successfully pushed him under the water.  “GET DUNKED, BITCH!”  He felt David flail a moment under him, letting him up a minute after, rolling over.

 

“Meanie!” David pouted, wiping water from his face, his hair sticking up at odd angles.

 

“Sucks to suck, bitch,” Max replied loftily, getting out of the water.  He pulls his wet shirt off, wringing it out in his hands.  He pushes his water-blurred sunglasses up to the top of his head.  “Damn it, David.  It’s going to smell like shitty lake water now,” he grumbles, shivering from a slight breeze, his arms bumpy with gooseflesh.  

 

David giggles, splashing out of the water behind him.  “I’m sorry, honey,” he cooes, wrapping his arm around Max.  He freezes.  “Are you okay?”

 

Max swallows.  Skin to skin contact.  He couldn’t have ever dreamt of this happening and if he had, he never would have imagined how safe it would feel.  David was bright and happy, looking down at Max apologetically, his green eyes glistening like the lakebed.  His skin was soft, and felt warm compared to the chilly lake breeze, warming him.  Hesitantly, Max gave into his desires with a petulant frown and turned his head into David’s neck.  David sighed happily, and tilted his head onto Max’s, the slight rasp of his unshaven cheek scratching Max’s own as he nuzzles him.  

 

With new conviction, he turned to pull his arms around David’s middle, his hands feeling the surprisingly hard muscle behind his shoulders.  It shouldn’t be, seeing as he had watched David heave a massive boulder up over his head and throw it a considerable distance.  He pressed his face into David’s shoulder, pressing his lips against the skin.  It was the most contact he thinks he’s ever had, nonviolently.  He relishes the feeling, and pushes back tears that threaten to spill over.  He’s not going to cry on David.

 

He’s  _ not. _

 

“Don’t you break my heart, David,” he mumbles into David’s neck, hugging him close.

 

“What was that?” David asks turning his head.

 

Max pushes David away quickly and says with an impersonal look, “I said, ‘You’re a useless twink, David’”.  He haughtily pulls his damp shirt back over his head.

 

David protests behind him, before his phone goes off.  “Oh, one moment, Max”.  David answers the call button, Max deflating the mattress, ready to take a goddamn shower.  He hated smelling like lake.  “Hello, this is Camp Campbell, how can I help you?” he responds with a smile, tossing a few pool noodles into the bin with Max, locking it.  Max watches him respond to a low voice over the phone, “Yes, this is him”.

 

David drops his keys at whatever the person on the other line says next.  “Oh!  Hello, I didn’t… hold on a moment, please!” he grabs his keys and places his hand over the receiver, and gives Max a pleading look.  “Max, would you mind if I took this somewhere private?” he whispers, handing the keys to his boyfriend.  “Can you make sure these get to the rack by my bed?”

 

Max knows the ring rack.  He’d mismatched the keys a thousand times, and glued the individual keys to the ceiling countless others.  Ha.  He’d convinced David they had ghosts.  He’d brought in a priest and everything.

 

Max cocks his brow at the man.  “You want me to take keys and put them on a thing?”

 

David gives a nervous smile.  “Yes… can you handle that?”

 

“...No”.

 

David smiles.  “Well, do your best,” he says with a wave, and wanders off with his towel around his shoulders.

 

Max rolls the keys in his hands, and walks up to the cabin.  He grabs his clothes and wanders into the shower house.  He roughly lathers shampoo up in his hair, the hot water soothing the chill left by the lake.  He frowns to himself thoughtfully.  It’s a little too early for people to reserve cabins.  Almost no one came until next year in the spring.

 

He steps out and throws his clothes on after he’s cleaned himself up.  Coming back into the cabin, he grows worried.  David should have been back by now.  He’s taking a bit of a long time.  The mail on the table catches his eye and he decides to rifle through.  Surprisingly, there’s a letter for him in a light blue envelope.  It’s sealed with a boat shaped sticker.

  
  
  


_ Max, _

 

_ You might not remember me, but you gave me some advice at the end of my stay.  You told me to go with my gut and move in with who I wanted.  I did.  I decided to move in with my Dad.  Mom hasn’t been taking the divorce very well, and I knew I’d just end up miserable if I stayed with her.  You were right, they aren’t my responsibility.  I’m theirs.  I do feel bad for not helping her, but I think that I wouldn’t be able to anyways, would I? _

 

_ I’m in Seattle now.  I don’t think I’m going to come back to Sleepy Peak, not for a long time at least.  Thanks for your help, though.  Me and Dad are having a lot of fun here, although we have to go to therapy once a week now.  That’s not fun, but I guess he’s trying to help me.  He says next year we might rent a boat for the summer, though!  I think I’m going to like living here, even if it’s not where I thought I’d end up. _

 

_ Anyways, thanks for everything. _

 

 

_ -Tanner Welspring _

  
  


Max held the letter in his hands.  He remembered David telling the kids to write to them after they left, but David had been the only one to get letters, and he only got two out of the entire group.  He didn’t expect to ever get one.  An odd rush of bittersweet warmth filled his gut.  It was nice to know that things had worked out, he supposed.  He knew he’d probably never see Tanner again, but it was nice to know that the kid had gotten his shit together and that he’d had a part in it, however small.  It was good to be involved in good things, he decided.

 

He looked at the clock.  David still wasn’t back.  He carefully pinned the letter and envelope to the wall on his side’s empty cork board that David had given him his second week.

 

He pushed outside and shivered, the growing dusk turning the sky dark and the wind colder.  He tucked into his hoodie.  “David?!” he called, with only his own echo responding.  He looked around, checking the lakefront and cabins.  David was nowhere.

 

_ It’s fine, _ he assured himself, walking quickly through the trail back to the mess hall.   _ He’s fine and nothing’s wrong, he just got caught up walking a trail or saw an animal or something like he fucking always does.  It’s all okay. _

 

He pushed into the mess hall, finding a large hole in the ceiling with a ladder leading down.   _ I didn’t know we had an attic here, _ he wondered.  There was only an upstairs food storage as far as he knew.  He frowned, looking up.  A light was on upstairs.  “David?!  You asshole, are you up there?!” he shouted.  No one responded.  “Okay, fuck you, I’m coming up!”

 

He growled in worry, pushing himself up the steps.  At the far end of the room David stares at a small door, on his knees, as though he expects something to crawl out of it.  “David!  What the hell man, I was- ugh, never mind.  What the fuck are you doing up here?  It smells like old ass”.

 

David whimpers, catching Max’s ear.  Something is very wrong.

 

“David?” he asks cautiously, walking slowly closer.  “You okay?”  David’s eyes are wide and fearful, tears streaming from the puffy, red sockets.  “Jesus fuck!  Are you okay?!  What the hell happened?!  Are you alright?!” he demands.  David shakes his head with a whimper, seemingly unable to answer.  Max looks at the old, tiny wood door.  It looks like it lead to a crawl space once.  “David?  What’s in here?”

 

David shakes his head, screwing his eyes shut with effort, his frame shaking.   Max gets up, and pulls the door open, revealing a large safe, armed with a combination lock.   _ What the hell?   _ “Forty-nine, twenty-six, forty-five,” David whispers.

 

“What?” he asks, astonished, turning to look at David whose gaze is far away.

 

“Forty-nine, twenty-six, forty-five,” David mumbles a second time.

 

Max slowly turns away from his boyfriend and turns the dial to the numbers.  It clicks and swings open.  Max’s mouth goes dry.  “Holy shit, that’s a lot of fucking cocaine”.  He turns back to his boyfriend.  “How did you know that, David?  How did you know the combination?” he demanded.

 

David sobbed quietly, falling into a sit.  He wiped an eye with his free hand, shaking his head.  “He told me,” he whispered.

 

“Fuck, dammit-   _ Who, _ David, who told you?” he asked, looking from the large bag to David.

 

“Mr. Campbell,” David cried with a sob.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so overdramatic, wtf.


	16. The Mule

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You never make good decisions when you're angry or afraid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments, once again! Also, exciting note: I'm almost at 5,000 hits!! How exciting! :)

 Max curses loudly and kicks the wall, the old wood cracking under the pressure.  “H-He wants me to send it to someone,” David whimpers.  “M-Max,” he pleads, though he doesn’t ask anything.

 

“Hey, hey,” Max tries to comfort, hand on David’s flushed and wet cheeks.  “Listen, everything’s going to be just fucking fine, David.  Take some deep breaths, alright?”  David nods jerkily, breathing heavy, but even.  “Alright, now when are we going to take this up to the police?  We probably shouldn’t fucking touch it, maybe get some gloves or some shit-”

 

“What?” David asks, breathing still thick and heavy, though steadier now.

 

Max blinked, looking down at David.  “Yeah?  I just figured that was what you wanted”.  Max narrows his eyes.  “Did you not want to do that?”  David curls on himself, in the middle of the floor, tears falling from his long lashes.  “David,” he growled lowly, “Tell me what you were going to do”.

 

“You don’t understand,” he pleads from the floor, avoiding Max’s eyes.  “I… I  _ owe  _ him so much, I owe him  _ everything, _ Max”.

 

“What the fuck are you talking about, what do you owe Campbell for?” he asks, his mind racing.

 

David sobs into his knees.  “I- I didn’t want to go home, and he didn’t make me,” the redhead cried into his knees, looking pleadingly up at Max.  He was a pathetic sight, tears running down red cheeks, nose running, hair a mess, and his usually clean clothes coated in the dust of the attic, staining him a dirty grey.  “He- he didn’t ask any questions, a-and he told me I could stay and he’d help me with m-my- with money if I did him some favors…  He had m-me carry bags of- of- something and take it to a place, put it somewhere specific, and then leave-”

 

“Oh my fucking god”.

 

“I didn’t know!  Max, I swear I didn’t know at first-”

 

“Would it have even fucking  _ mattered _ David?!” he snarled down at the weeping man.  “You didn’t have  _ any bells _ that went off  _ at all? _ ”  His stomach turned and his mind raced, blood boiling hot and fierce.  He pulled his hair like he could rip it out.  He knew David could be oblivious, but he wasn’t a complete moron, which meant only one thing could have happened.  "You could go to jail, David".

 

“H-he t-told me if I told anyone, he-” David’s voice cracked.  “H-he wouldn’t let me stay here a-anymore, and- and- I couldn’t go  _ back,  _ Max!  I couldn’t go back to that empty house- my mom wasn’t ever home, my dad was gone,  I can’t be alone again, Max!” David rambled.  His hand, brownish-grey with tears and dust, shot out and grasped at Max’s old jeans and clutched them.  His nails dug into the fabric, a finger tearing through a hole in the leg.  “Please, Max, don’t be mad at me-”

 

“No, hey, come the fuck on,” Max snapped, trying to wrench David’s hands from his jeans.  Under any other circumstance, having David on his knees, crying and pulling on his pants would have been welcome.  “Get a fucking hold of yourself, David!” he shouted, grabbing the man’s face and forcing him to face Max’s own snarling one.

 

David swallowed, calming his breaths and nodding.  “Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right, okay-” David stood, and began to pace, running his hands through his still damp hair and tearing at his worn vest.  “Okay, okay, options, yes, options,” David babbled to himself.  “Um, one: we turn it into the police,” David paused as if thinking.  “It wouldn’t add anything to his sentence, he already has 67 years, and he’s 58… thoughts?”

 

“Life sentence, yeah,” Max agreed with a nod.  “Sounds about right”.

 

“Okay, okay… two: I do what Mr. Campbell says and take it where he tells me,” he says, waving his hands.

 

“Sounds shitty.  He wouldn’t even be paying you”.

 

“Or three: we put everything back, or get rid of it somehow, and pretend nothing happened and everything goes back to the way it was,” David finishes, standing in one place.  He taps his foot rapidly, eyes everywhere at once and chewing on his nails.  “I should make a pros and cons chart, yes, that will help me get organized,” he hurriedly opened his phone up and tapped furiously on the screen.

 

Max rolled his eyes, tapping his fingers patiently as he leaned against a wooden pillar.  Max grit his jaw in impatience, watching David.

 

“Okay,” David said finally, pacing again and reading off from his screen.  “So, some pros for turning it into the police would be that I wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore, it would be in safe hands.  U-um, some cons would be that it could end up in the hands of a dirty cop and they might use it themselves, and I wouldn’t get Campbell’s approval-”   _ Wait, what? _  Max stopped listening as David rambled on, running through his list.  Max’s mind churned rapidly in confusion.  “-so what do you think we should do?”

 

Max looked up from the floor at a harried David, working his hands furiously.  “I thought you would want to take it to the police,” he said slowly.  “Campbell’s in prison dude, he can’t touch you”.

 

David pales.  “Well, yes, but I’ll never hear the end of it from him if I don’t, he’ll never leave me alone-”

 

“Just ignore his calls, David”.  He didn’t understand why his boyfriend was so bent on talking to Campbell.  “What’s the big fucking deal?”

 

“Look, Max, you don’t know the things we’ve been through together,” David rambles, desperately explaining.  Max’s mind goes blank in rage, red filtering into his vision as he stands up straight.  “We have a bond, you don’t know him like I do!  He’s done so much for me, I can’t disappoint him!”

 

“A  _ bond?! _  Are you for fucking real right now?!” he snarled, getting into David’s face.  “Campbell is a murderous sociopath that sold child labor produced cocaine, and you’re trying to tell me that you have a  _ bond _ and you  _ don’t want to disappoint him?!   _ Who are you?!”

 

David shrinks into the dusty wall, face twisting.  “Since when have you ever cared about morals,” David snaps pettily, avoiding eye contact.

 

Okay, that kind of hurt, but Max isn’t about to let David win.  “I don’t, but I know that you do,” he replies nastily, giving him a hard glare.  “And I know that if you don’t do the right thing, you’ll agonize over it for the rest of your life, and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.  And you know that.  If you really want to sell this, then fine, but you aren’t going to do it for someone like fucking  _ Campbell, _ you’re going to do it because you’ll get money to help the camp and because you want to, which I fucking know that you don’t!”

 

David curls his lip at him angrily.  “How do you know what  _ I _ want?”

 

“Because we’ve lived together for half a year now?  Because I know you?” he shakes David by his lapels.  “Because I’m your  _ fucking boyfriend, _ for fuck’s sake?  How about that, David?”

 

David flinches at every word and looks down, swallowing.  “Is it really that dumb?  To still want him to be proud of me?” he asks.  He looks so small.

 

Max snorts, abrasive, and takes a step back.  “Uh, yeah?”  It’s not a question.

 

David snaps his head up glaring hotly.  “No it’s not!” he rebukes, defensively.

 

“Yeah, it is!” he snaps back.  “You want someone like  _ him _ to be proud of you?!  Campbell is an  _ awful _ person!  Take it from someone who’s been around shitty people their whole life: if you keep wanting to impress shitty people, you’ll turn into a shitty person, and you’re too fucking good for that,” he retorts.

 

David flinches against the wall like he’s been slapped.  “But-”

 

“I’m sorry, but you are!” he shoots back, waving his pitiful attempt away.  “Stop trying to impress people that are just going to make you miserable”.  Max huffs.

 

“Yeah,” he says, glaring at the floor.  “But every time I talk to him, he just-”

 

“So don’t talk to him again!” he interrupts again.  “The great thing about having someone you don’t want to be around in prison, is that you don’t have to talk to them!  You don’t even have to give them another chance!  People like Campbell are a sinkhole, and if you don’t leave, you’ll just end up dead”.

 

“You just don’t get it!” David yells, pushing Max forcefully in the chest.

 

Max’s vision blurs with anger.  He takes a deep breath and holds it.   _ Do not hit your boyfriend, do not hit your boyfriend, do not hit your boyfriend- _  He grabs David by the vest and slams him against the old wood of the wall.  “Oh yeah?  What the fuck am I not getting?!  Because what it sounds like to me is that you  _ like  _ playing drug mule to a guy that doesn’t even fucking appreciate you-”

 

“Max!  Get off!” David screams, hands clenched against Max’s hoodie.

 

“-Uses you like a goddamn asswipe and then leaves you his fucking mess to clean up, without even giving you a fucking mop-”

 

“I said  _ get off! _ ”

 

Max felt his back hit the wall, David pushing him into it, his fist in the collar of his hoodie and the other pulled back.  Max’s eyes were glued to the raised fist, before looking back at David.  David gasped for air, elbows trembling under Max’s hands that clutched at the wrist holding him captive.  David’s fist trembles in the air.

 

Max curled his lips into a mocking sneer and relaxed against the wood of the wall, staring at David from half-lidded eyes.  “Oh yeah?  What d’you have that raised for?  Are you gonna fucking hit me?  Big Bad Davey, here to put his asshole boyfriend in his place,” he purred, his mouth full of venom.  He could feel it welling on his tongue and spat into David’s fearful face, filling his mouth with cotton.  “Come on, show me what you can do”.

 

David doesn’t say anything, doesn’t even blink.  He trembles like it takes effort to keep himself so still, his normally soft eyes wide and afraid.  Max can hear his blood rush in his ears, fast and pumping.

 

Max has never been very good at being nice, but he’s always been good at pushing the wrong buttons.  “Come on, you fucking coward-”

 

_ SLAM! _

 

Max felt a rush of air whiz past his ear and slam into the wood.  Max turns his head slightly, nonchalantly, careful and practiced, giving the trembling fist pressed to the wall a glance.  “That’s what I fucking thought,” he growled, pushing David’s hand off the collar of his hoodie.  He hit David’s shoulder with his own, stalking past him to the ladder.  “Coward,” he snarled behind him.

 

Max forced his steps even, trembling with cold anger and left David to sit in the suffocating dust of the attic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they are my motivation (this includes yelling at me haha) or, yell at me at beastfeast87.tumblr.com


	17. Are We Home Yet?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ghosts you miss the most miss you too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT PLEASE READ:
> 
> The reason that I have updated early is because I am going on a small HIATUS. I'm still continuing the story, and I'm still writing, I'm just moving! It will likely last for at least a week or two while I move! I decided to update early because I didn't want you to be left on that massive cliffhanger until January because I'm nice like that! Consider it a holiday present! I'll make a detailed post on my blog at beastfeast87.tumblr.com for anyone that wants to know more! In the meantime, feel free to ask questions there! 
> 
> Thank you for being understanding and supportive!

Max hated mornings before, but now he despised them.  David rushed about, making enough breakfast each morning to certainly feed a summer camp that had kids, but not a summer camp that had only two grown men.  Max recognized it as the defense mechanism it was and spitefully ignored the breakfast and the pre-poured cup of coffee David left for him, poured himself his own cup, and walked out of the building without word or sound, despite David’s anxious rambling about anything and everything behind him.

 

It felt… _bad_ watching David almost break himself, trying to do everything now.  He spent an entire day just to clean the gutters of every building in the camp, just to keep away from Max.  He wasn’t doing it because he liked it, but because he was anxious and upset, and avoiding his current situation, and it was driving Max up the wall.

 

Max hadn’t felt bad in a fight before.  He was usually too busy fucking off and doing something else, but he liked David, and as much as he hated to admit it, he missed him too.  He’d gotten spoiled, soft with love.  It left him feeling revolted with himself each time he found himself missing David kissing his forehead good-morning with his coffee or wanting to hug.  He hadn’t needed contact before and he’d been _just fine,_ but now he could feel exactly how hungry for touch he was.  It left him irritable and agitated, and he’d taken to smoking more and more often outside the cabin while waiting for David to fall asleep.

 

“So are you sure tha-” David began, with a large, fake grin pasted on his face.  It looked like Max could rip it like wet tissue paper.

 

“What?” asked Max in a much louder tone, without looking up from his phone.

 

“...that you’ll… be…” David faltered, grin strained and frozen awkwardly.

 

“What’d you say?” Max interrupted again irritably, hearing David perfectly well.

 

“Are you sure th-” David began a second time, a bit more hesitantly.

 

“I can’t tell what your saying, can you quit mumbling, or maybe just shut the fuck up?”  David’s jaw shut with an audible click, and he takes note of the man shaking.  He felt a pool of spiteful triumph form in his gut.  “Thanks”.  Max tapped out a reply to Nikki, grimacing while he hauled his backpack over his shoulder.  “Alright, I’m going.  See you in a few days”.  He grabs his car keys from his pocket, flicking to his car’s.

 

“Max!  Wait!” David calls him, voice urgent.

 

Max stops in the doorway, looking behind him.  David’s eyes are sad and raw, and he almost flinches looking at them.  He forces his face impassive and stony, and avoids looking too deeply into David’s teal ones.  He wants so badly for them both to just agree that they aren’t fighting anymore, but he knows that isn’t how the world works.  

 

David’s face crumples into a broken smile, defeat clear on his face.  “B-Be safe, won’t you?”  He sounds as though he was pleading, begging Max to come back safe and sound, or better, not leave at all.  His voice is strained and high.

 

Max clenches his jaw and nods.  He knows that, had they not been fighting, this would be the part where they said ‘Goodbye, I love you’.  He wants that, someday.  Max walks out of the room, forcing his feet to move.  It feels as though his shoes were full of lead.

 

Max gets into his car, the door creaking.  The further from camp he gets, the further he feels from his new problems and the closer he feels to his old ones.  He wishes that it could be like back in high school, where he wouldn’t have to explain why he was on Neil’s couch in the morning when he hadn’t been there last night, or how he got in (the bathroom window was never locked).  He wished he could just walk into Nikki’s and not explain where he’d been for the past months, just slouch down onto her’s and Nerris’s couch and smoke a blunt with them.  He wouldn’t have to apologize for fucking off for months and not telling them.  He wouldn’t have to say he was sorry for making everything a fucking disaster.  They’d just sit on the couch blazing, playing shitty video games, and fucking with each other.

 

 _But would that have made you happy?_ he wonders.  Would he have been happier had he never left for six months, wasting away in his shitty one-room apartment, at a job he didn’t like, and every day blurring with the next, laying on the shitty wood floor and staring at the ceiling mold, feeling like every day was the same and everything and everyone feeling plastic and fake?  If he had the chance, would he have gone back and done it all different?

 

Max pulls up at the side of the bland, brown duplex and shuts down his phone’s GPS.  He taps his fingers anxiously against the wheel.  Should he go inside?  He should go inside, it would be a dick of him to come all this way, tell them he was coming, and then just _not_ go inside, but he can’t seem to make his feet work.

 

Gritting his teeth, he forces himself up and out of the car.  He trudges up to the door and anxiously sends a text to Nikki, letting her know he was here.  Walking up the sidewalk, he hears a crash from the house, a scream, and then the heavy thump of footfalls that he knows belongs to the green haired woman.

 

 _WHAM!_  The door flies open with a loud crack, Nikki standing in the doorway.  “Oh.  My God”.

 

Max feels sweat pool on his brow.  He should have thought out what to say.  Why didn’t he think of something to say?  He’s such a fucking moron.  “Uh, hey Nik-”

 

“YOU’RE BACK!” Nikki screeches, sliding down the stair rail with a large grin and running up to him.

 

Max broke into a large grin, excitement and relief melting his anxieties.  “What’s up, fucker?!  What’d I miss?!” he yells back.

 

“What’d you miss?!  What the hell, asshole!  I thought your ugly ass was gone for good!  You had us thinking you went and joined the soul circus!” she yells, screeching to a stop in front of him, and opening her arms in offering with a wide grin.  Same Nikki, new nose ring.

 

Max had never taken her up on the hug before, always shoved her away when she got too close.  Max swallowed.  He could really use a hug right now, but not here.  Not in the middle of the street where it felt like everyone was staring and judgmental.  He felt almost certain he might cry with relief at seeing his friend again.  “Yeah, they didn’t give me a callback.  Let’s get inside, I’m freezing my ass off”.

 

Nikki lowered her arms, unperturbed by his lack of action, but still quivering with excitement.  “Yeah!  Now you can finally take your shit back!” she shoots back.  “Since you fucking flew out of here, we ran and grabbed all your shit so your landlord wouldn’t trash it all”.

 

Max winced.  Shit, he knew he forgot something.  He’s glad that all his shit didn’t get thrown out, and found himself grateful for the forethought.  “Thanks, man”.

 

“No problem, dude,” she replies, clapping him on the back.  Max found himself relaxing at the familiar gesture, instead of tensing up and hissing at her like he used to.  It was good to be back, he realized.  He missed this.  Walking in, he found Nerris in the kitchen, starting up the kettle and sitting on the counter like usual.  “Hey, Nerris”.

 

She looked up and grinned.  “Hey, dude!” she called from the counter.  “Good to see you back in one piece!  Want some cocoa?  We can booze it up if you want”.

 

“No tequila, it reminds me of Denny’s parking lots,” he replied with a laugh.

 

He hears a familiar voice behind him, his laugh dying in his throat.  “Max?”

 

He turns and spots Neil in his usual spot in the recliner.  He stands up and adjusts his glasses, blue eyes wide with disbelief.  Max feels a pang in his chest.  God, that was a sight for sore eyes.  “Hey, Neil”.  Neil lowered his eyes and carefully set down his phone, and walked closer with a darkened expression.  Max frowns.  “Neil…?”

 

The curly haired man grabbed the front of his hoodie and pushed him up against the wall.   _“‘Hey, Neil?!’_  You disappear for _six months_ and that’s all you have to say?!   _‘Hey, Neil?!’_  You asshole!” he shrieks, punching him weakly in the gut.  Max barely winces at the weak hit.  Neil had never been much of a fighter.  “Do you have _any fucking idea_ how goddamn worried I was about you?!  No note, no calls, shit still at your house but your car gone!  What the fuck!”

 

“Neil,” Max tried, though he found himself unable to think of anything adequate to say.

 

“You didn’t even fucking call me,” Neil whispered, anger dying.  Max could see his eyes get glossy and spill over with frustrated tears.  “Did I matter that fucking little to you, that you thought you couldn’t even call me?  What the fuck happened, Max?”

 

“Dude, Neil, maybe chill out,” said Nikki, hand on his shoulder.

 

He shrugged it off, face hardening.  He shook Max by his shirt, Max’s head colliding in the wall painfully.  “No, I want to hear it.  Why the fuck did you leave?  Why didn’t you call?!  Anything, Max!”

 

Max swallowed.  “I…”   _You need to tell the truth.  They fucking deserve it, and you have to tell it to yourself.  No more fucking hiding._  “I was fucking dying,” he admits.  

 

Neil’s eyes widen.  “Man, you know that when it’s one of _those_ nights you can come over-”  His voice cracks slightly and his hand loosens its hold on his hoodie.

 

Max shakes his head and leans against the wall more, looking up.  “It wasn’t just _that._  It was _everything._  That day at the funeral home was supposed to be the best fucking day of my life, and I realized,” he swallowed hard against the lump in his throat, “I was never more fucking miserable.  And if I wasn’t happy then, would I ever be?  If that was supposed to be the best day of my life,” he rambles, “then what does that say about every day that comes after that?”  His throat tightens.  “Every day was the same, so fucking fake, and it felt like I was dying.  I kept running and running, and I wasn’t fucking headed anywhere.  I think…” he shakes his head, and Neil’s hand falls from his hoodie.  “I don’t know what I was thinking.  Maybe I thought that if I just got the fuck out of here and made a new life somewhere else I’d be happy or something.  Be someone else for once, and figure out how to exist or something”.

 

“Dude.  You should have called us.  We could have come and kidnapped you or something,” Nikki says, leaning against the wall next to him.  “You know you can count on us, you’re part of the crew”.  She tilts her head to look him in the face.  “Us three against the world forever, right?”

 

“I didn’t want to talk.  I just wanted to fucking _do_ something, get the hell out of here,” Max says, crossing his arms.  “I was so _tired,_ and nothing was changing.  It was like every day I’d just come home and lay on the floor and just fucking feel myself dying,” he hears himself say, and to his horror, he feels tears drip from his eyes.  He scrubs them away inconsequentially with his hoodie sleeve.  “It was terrible, and I couldn’t fucking take it anymore.  So I just… left”.

 

“Where did you go?  We looked everywhere, called everyone,” Neil asks quietly.  He leans against the wall next to him, breathing slowing down from its angry huffing moments ago.  “It was like you were a ghost.  Were you in Sleepy Peak the whole time or just when you called me?”

 

Max feels a small smirk slide onto his face.  He chuckles slightly, hiccuping.  “Believe it or not, I was there for most of it.  I just drove around at first.  Ended up in a summer camp when I was looking to pull over for the day”.  He snorts remembering David’s face when he’d pulled up.  “This fucking weirdo said he was hiring, and then I got the job, and then…” he shrugged.

 

“So, what, you just stayed there?  That still doesn’t explain why you didn’t call any of us,” Nikki pointed out from her side.

 

Max sighed, rubbing his face with his hands.  “I was so fucking tired of everything, Nik.  I just… I knew that if I picked up, then you’d ask questions, and I didn’t have any answers.  I’m… I’m sorry, alright?”

 

It’s quiet a moment, and they listen to the sound of Nerris clatter around in the kitchen.  “It doesn’t excuse you being shitty to us,” Neil responds after a while.  Max winces.  Yeah, he sort of expected them not to- “But I forgive you”.

 

“Yeah, me too.  It’s good to have you back, man,” Nikki agreed, about to touch his shoulder, before shrinking away.

 

“Are you serious?” he asks in disbelief.

 

“Well, I’m still pretty pissed,” Neil says, turning.  “But I’m honestly just glad you’re okay”.

 

“Yeah, dude.  We were really worried,” Nikki confirms.  “I even ran into the abandoned Target to see if you were hiding in there”.

 

Max breaks into laughter and his body sags in relief.  “Thank fuck”.  Hesitating a moment, he raises his arms, before wrapping them around his two friends on either side of them and pulling them into a hug.  He feels them startle in his arms, but he can’t bring himself to care.   _He’s back._  “I missed you guys so fucking much,” he says, his voice cracking.

 

“Are you fucking crying?!” he hears Neil cry out next to him.  “And hugging?!  You hate it when people touch you!”

 

Max hugs the two tighter to himself.  God, he missed these two.  “Aw, Max!  You got all soft on us!” Nikki giggles, wrapping her arms around the two boys and lifting them up with a huff.  “You two are such crybabies!  I guess I have to be the hard ass around here now!”

 

He laughs loudly, and the three of them fall over onto the floor in a heap.  He feels Neil’s chest quake with laughter under his head, and Nikki giggles in his ear.  “Whatever, moment over, assholes!  Get your shit together!” he yells obnoxiously, gleeful that he can pick up where he left off.  He heavily steps on Neil and uses Nikki’s back to push himself up.

 

“Ugh, I see your attitude didn’t get better with age…” Neil grumbled, dusting himself off.

 

“At least he smells better!” Nikki chimes in.  “He smells like the woods!”

 

“Yeah, that reminds me,” Neil says questioningly.  “What happened that made you call me?”

 

Oh.  Right.  Well, this would be hard to explain.  “Well… I may or may not have a boyfriend now?”

 

“What?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment telling me what you thought, and tell me what you're doing for the holidays! It makes my day. :)


	18. The Bastards Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *punches my fist through the dirt of my grave* I LIVED BITCH!!!
> 
> Consider this a thank you for being patient, and a nice New Years gift from me. The hiatus isn't over quite yet, but I have a little more time to write right now. It may be a week or so until I update again.

“I haven’t been here in fucking forever,” Max says, stepping into the busy shopping place.  A mother and her screaming child rush by him, and out the archway.  The Hawking's Outdoor Mall was a large, local hub.  A sort of outdoor mall, it was generally buzzing with activity.  Max preferred it to other malls as the security was incredibly lazy, and the crowd was slow and largely mellow.  The place was littered with false spider webs and pictures of ghosts and monsters hung in the windows.  He blinked.  Was it really October already?  

 

Nerris nods and pats his back hesitantly.  He only barely winces.  He’s getting better at this.  He has to get better.  “Yeah, they opened up a couple new stores.  We’ve gotta stop at Half Moon!  I have to pick up my new cloak”.

 

“Nerd,” Max sneers, affection pooling in his gut.

 

“At least she’s a cute one!” cheers Nikki, sneaking up and hauling her girlfriend into a bridal hold.  “Myne dearest Nerris the Cute; might I bequeef thee with a smooch?” Nikki asks with a prideful puff of the chest, leaning in to lick her girlfriend’s cheek grossly.

 

Nerris shrieks with laughter, hands against her red cheeks.  “It’s ‘bequeath’ Nikki, you’re not queefing it onto me”.

 

“You don’t know what I queef!  Nikki Of The Wilds will queef whatever she likes!” Niki yells loudly, giving Nerris a kiss.  A father covers the ears of his child and rushes away, and a teen nearby raises his fist and gives a whoop.

 

“Yeah, go Nik!  Queef your girlfriend!” Max cheers with a smirk, checking the map for the new places.

 

“I don’t even want to know,” Neil grumbles, trudging up next to Max.  “I can’t believe you shoved snow down my coat”.

 

“Quit being a pussy and tell me what new shit we got here,” he shoots back with a shove.

 

“They got a new noodle joint-” Neil begins begrudgingly, adjusting his coat.

 

“Fuck yeah”.

 

“I know, right?  All they serve is noodles.  Every kind.  It’s called Noodlelympics”.

 

“Oh my god”.

 

“I know,” Neil agrees.  “Their ravioli is orgasmic”.

 

“Is ravioli a noodle?” he asks.  Neil shrugs.  Max points.  “Alright, well, what’s that one?”

 

“Oh, you’ll like that.  It’s a yarn shop, run by a couple old ladies,” Neil explains eagerly.  “They told me they liked the mittens you made me”.

 

“Sweet, old lady cred.  We’ve gotta stop by there before we go, there’s no other yarn places around except fucking Michael’s,” Max grumbles.

 

“Yeah, aren’t you banned from there?  How do you get yarn?” Neil points out.

 

“I buy it online,” he says with a shrug.  He wonders if they ever got the stain out of the floor.  “Any other new places?” he asks.

 

“Just one,” Neil confirms, pointing to a new dot.  “They put in a new tea place in, but I’m sure you don’t give a shit about that”.

 

Max grimaced, remembering the fruity notes of David’s tea.  “I… might hit there later, actually,” he mumbles.

 

“Really?  Why?” Neil asks curiously.

 

“David loves that shit.  I should pick him up something when I apologize, right?  That’s what couples do?” he mumbles, frowning.  

 

Neil shrugs.  “You’re asking the wrong guy, dude.  My longest relationship is with my houseplant; but yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s normal”.  Max hums in acknowledgment.  “Shit, I keep forgetting you have a boyfriend now”.

 

“Yeah, well.  If I keep acting like an asshole, then not for much longer,” he growls, trailing behind Nikki who’s carrying a foam-sword bearing Nerris.  He looks over to see Neil staring at him curiously.  “What?” he snaps.  “What’s with the look?”

 

Neil blinks, snapping out of his daze.  “Nothing.  You’re just different now”.

 

Max blinks.  “Do you think so?” he asks, trying not to sound hopeful.

 

“Yeah,” Neil affirms.  “You seemed happier.  Not as angry,” he replies, crunching the fallen leaves under his shoes.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yeah,” his friend confirms.  “I don’t know who David is, but anyone that can get you to chill the fuck out deserves a prize”.

 

“Fuck you,” he shoots back, secretly proud, although his chest aches.  “...I miss him,” he admits.

 

Neil raises a brow to him.  “Then get your shit together”.

 

Max snorts.  “Easy for you to say.  You can assemble Ikea furniture”.

 

“Ugh, why are you acting like such a little cunt right now?” Neil asks with a roll of his eyes.

 

“I just-” Max sighs in frustration.  “I just feel like even if I apologize, then I’ll just fuck it up like I always do.  I mean; what does it matter if I just keep screwing up?”  He runs his hand through his hair.  Neil’s presence has never felt suffocating.  “I keep making shitty decisions and hurting people I care about,” he murmurs.

 

“Well,” Neil says, “Have you tried  _ not _ doing the thing that fucks you and everyone else over?”

 

Max frowns.  “Oh, gee, I never thought of that,” he snaps.  “Thanks a lot, Commander Cunt”.

 

Neil laughs.  “If you know it’s going to hurt people, just don’t do it, dipshit!”  He shoves Max playfully with his shoulder.

 

"I know,” says Max, looking down at the rocky ground.  “It's just that..." Max growls to himself frustratedly, trying to find the right words and pry them out of his mouth, as if he were a stubborn dog.  "Every time I'm around him, he just looks up at me with these big doe eyes, and...  ugh, I just feel like I'm going to fucking ruin him like I do with everything else.  I don't deserve to be around someone like that.  David doesn't need that in his life, and he sure as fuck shouldn't tell me he loves me".

 

Neil sighs.  "Fuck, you really have it bad, huh?"  Neil taps his foot like he does when he works on making sense of the mess of numbers on his blackboard.  "Look, I know a lot of things, Max-"

 

"Yeah, you're the smartest asshole I know," he interrupts with a nod.

 

Neil glares at him before continuing on.  "...and one thing I know for sure is that even asshats like you deserve to be loved by someone.  I mean, we all suck, but I feel like love can make us suck less, you know?"

 

"That was actually pretty cheesy.  Profound, but cheesy".

 

“Yeah, and you know what else?”

 

“What?”

 

“I’ll help you get your boy toy back,” Neil stated smugly.

 

Max wrinkled his nose.  “Ugh, don’t call him that.  He’s my boyfriend”.

 

Neil laughs and kicks Max’s ass with his wet boot.

  
  


 

* * *

 

 

 

“Okay, this is it,” Neil says, stopping in front of the store.

 

“You aren’t coming in?” he asks.

 

Neil shakes his head.  “I’d be no help.  You know I don’t drink tea”.

 

“That’s why I’m here,” Nerris says, sidling up and hesitantly putting a hand on Max’s arm.  “I need to pick up some more matcha anyways,” she explains.  “I drank the last of it on anime night”.

 

“Nerd,” he says with a snort.

 

“Duh,” Neil and Nerris reply in unison.

 

Max gave a short wave to Neil and offered his arm with a nervous twitch to Nerris.  Her face lit up and she wrapped her own around his.  “Aw.  Gentleman,” she coos.

 

“Fuck off,” he replied, opening the door.

 

“Hi!” cheered a short woman with curly hair.  “My name is Rachel.  Can I help you?”

 

“Yeah, do you have any teas that say, ‘Sorry I’m a dick, Love, Your Boyfriend?’” Max asked in a perfected deadpan tone.

 

The woman faltered predictably, brows turned in.  “W-what?”

 

Nerris rolled her eyes.  “Max, play nice!”  Max stuck his tongue out.  “I need some matcha, and my friend here needs some help”.

 

“Matcha is that wall there,” the woman said, pointing.  Nerris grabbed a box swiftly and threw it.  Max raised a hand and caught it a moment before it smacked into the side of his face, watching it out of the periphery of his vision.  The woman grinned nervously.  “U-um…  Were you looking for any kind in particular, sir?” she asks hesitantly.

 

Max bites his lip, trying to remember.  “I… herbal?” he says, remembering.  “He likes herbal?  I don’t know what that is, though,” he says.

 

“The herbal is on the other wall,” the shop clerk says helpfully, still looking worried.  “Anything in particular?” she asks again.

 

Max frowns.  “I don’t know.  The one he likes is kinda fruity…”

 

The woman hums curiously as Nerris walks back to him curiously.  “Well… does he have any problems?”

 

“What?” Max asks, confused.

 

“I just meant,” the woman explains quickly at the sight of his expression, “that some people drink tea for different reasons.  Plants are medicinal, you know”.  Max supposed that made sense.  David liked all natural deodorant, and repeatedly tried to get him to eat breakfast, so maybe this was another one of those weird health placebos that people did to make themselves feel better?  It was worth a shot.  “When does he drink tea?”

 

Max frowns.  “The mornings and before bed.  It’s always the same kind, and it doesn’t have caffeine”.

 

The woman hummed curiously.  “Does he have trouble sleeping?  There're teas that help with insomnia”.

 

“Good idea.  I have a lavender tea that me and Nikki drink before bed,” Nerris said with a grin.  “It puts her to sleep like a baby”.

 

Max snorts.  “Alright, yeah.  Do you have any like that?”  He swallows, a frown replacing his smirk as he remembers David curled on the floor by his bed, silently crying into his knees.  “It might help”.

 

“Well, here!” said the woman, pouring a sample from the sample kettle.  “Try this one then.  It’s our sleep-aid brew, Providence”.

 

Max and Nerris each took a paper sample cup.  The tea was floral and sweet, and Max disliked it instantly.   _ Hot Whole Foods Kool-Aid. _  “What’s in this?” he asks.

 

“Lavender, eleuthero, valerian, and lemongrass with lemon peel.  Do you not like it?” she asks anxiously, shifting her weight.

 

“It’s terrible,” he said and her face fell.  “But my boyfriend might like it.  I’ll take a box”.

 

Her face lit up as he begrudgingly grabbed a box of the leaf-water.  “Aw, is it your anniversary?” she coos.  “You should check these out if it’s a gift,” she says, leading him to a stand of boxes, and hands him one.  “They’re little sugar lumps in different shapes and colors!”

 

In the boxes were small, perfectly shaped sugars in the shape of little animal faces, objects, and shapes, and if that wasn’t the cutest shit.  “Oh.  My god.  I am getting these sword ones, and no one can stop me,” squealed Nerris next to him, grabbing a pair of boxes.

 

There were foxes, cats, dogs, even little flowers.  Deciding the flowers would be too on-the-nose, he picked a box of cat faces.  David would love this stuff.   _ If he forgives you, _ he thought with a wince.  He seemed to be doing a lot of apologizing these days.  Or maybe he was doing the normal amount of apologizing, now that he wasn’t acting like an asshole as much?  Who’s to say.  “I’ll take it”.

 

“Excellent!” the woman cheered, taking the box.  “So we have one box of Providence and a box of Cat Sugars.  Would you like that wrapped, sir?”

 

He nodded and handed her the necessary amount.  She trades the newly wrapped package for his cash and bids him a good day.  Nerris follows him out.  “Well, that was fun!” she says cheerfully.

 

“Hardly”.

 

“So how are you going to apologize?” she asks.

 

Max winces.  He hadn’t considered what he’d say yet.  “I don’t know,” he admits.

 

“Wow,” says Nerris, shoving him gently.  “If it were last year, you would have told me it was none of my goddamn business”.

 

“It isn’t,” he confirms with a frown, “but I’m trying to be better”.

 

“For him?”

 

“For myself, but yeah, also for him.  He deserves someone good”.

 

Nerris smiles.  “Just be honest and speak from the heart”.  She sighs.  “That’s what I do when me and Nikki fight”.

 

Max sighs.  “Yeah, but…” he shakes his head.  “Whatever.  I’ll apologize when we get back”.  He taps his foot.  “Is it cool if I invite him over?”

 

“Sure!  I’d love to have him over!”  Her eyes gained a hard gleam.

 

“You’re going to bother him about anime, aren’t you?”

 

“Yup”.

 

“Please leave enough of him for me to make out with later”.

 

“Aw, Max!” she pokes her finger into the side of his face harshly.  He winces at the touch.  “You’ve turned into a softy!”

 

“Fuck off!” he snaps, slapping her hand.

 

She laughs and jabs him in the side fondly.  “Softy!  Softy!” she chants in amusement.

 

She doesn’t stop until Max has picked her up and thrown her at Nikki.

  
  


 

* * *

 

  
  


Max takes a drag of his cigarette and blows the smoke out towards the street.  He presses David’s contact.   _ “Hello!  You’ve reached Cameron Campbell’s Camp Campbell!  David can’t get to the phone right now but leave a message and I’ll get right back to you!  Have a swell day!” _  A loud beep rang out.

 

“Uh… hey David.  It’s me,” he says, suddenly feeling very awkward.  He looks over to the window and sees Nikki smear a dab of peanut butter on Nerris’s cheek, the two laughing.  Nikki licks it off and Nerris tries valiantly to push her away, giggling.  It does not work.  “I know we, um, kinda left on a bad note, and I wanted to say… fuck-”  He ends the call and runs his fingers through his hair.  What the fuck is he doing?  He doesn’t even know what to say.

 

_ You want him back, don’t you? _

 

He sighs, takes a drag from his cigarette, and dials the number a second time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you in the next update! Feel free to drop a comment and tell me what you're doing for New Year's Eve! I'm going to be suffering and unpacking! :') Feel free to send an ask to my blog at beastfeast87.tumblr.com about Herringbone, or anything really!
> 
> Note: ravioli is not technically a noodle, it's a type of dumpling apparently. I didn't know that. It's also my favorite food!


	19. After The Beep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David's dreaming. He has new voicemails.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I'm still moving everything in, and I've been trying to write two stories at once, so sorry for the delays! On top of that, my laptop is being a bitch, so I'm trying to get it together! Please enjoy this short chapter.
> 
> tw for this chapter: intrusive thoughts, anxiety stuff, and gross things??? idk

_David lies down on the dirt, the soft, loamy soil cushioning him perfectly as he stares at the bright orange sky.  Fireflies float around him and a gentle, cool breeze pushes his hair off his face.  The stars are beginning to form in the sky, and dusk clouds the earth in reds and purples._

 

_Suddenly, the sun halts in its descent.  The fireflies freeze in their path of flight, suspended like the stars above.  An awful sucking noise sounds out just near his ear, and David finds he cannot lift his head to look.  He is stuck with his rising panic pressing down on his chest, forced to stare at the stars that are as frozen as he is.  A human hand wrenches itself out of the solid dirt beneath him, dripping with what seems to be black mud.  It slaps wetly to the dirt and a second pops out to join the first.  Mud as black and thick as oil slides down from them, and with an awful popping sound, a figure heaves himself out of the dirt.  The oily muck sticking to his hair and sliding along his naked collarbone and chest to his bare navel.  He bares his teeth in an awful snarl, eyes sunk deep into his skull, glowing green as if he were full of acid.  David recognizes those eyes._

 

_“Do you think,” Max rasps, hoisting his mud slick body on top of David’s stomach, “That you will become a good person if you punish yourself enough?”  David can feel himself trembling, unable to speak or move his arms from his sides.  Max sneers awfully at him, bending over his face, muck dripping onto David as if it were pouring from Max’s sweat glands.  A strange ringing fills his ears.  Max’s hands slap down on either side of his head threateningly.  One slides to his neck, curling cruel fingers with chipped nails around his neck to choke him.  The other grabs roughly at his bruised shoulder.  “It’s not going to fucking work, you know”._

 

 _David feels the gooey mud soak into his shirt where Max sits nakedly on his stomach.  “It’s a waste of time,” he says leaning down, his face inches from David’s own.  He opens his mouth and a second, different, though equally familiar voice comes out of his throat and says,_ **_“Don’t be such a pussy”._ ** _Max leans down, fingers digging into the skin of his bruised shoulder and throat, and presses his open mouth to David’s.  Oily, thick mud sliding from out of Max’s mouth to his, suffocating him, drowning him in the thick, boggy muck, infecting him-_

 

David wakes up with a bolt, panting and the ring still in his ears.  He wipes his hand down his sweat sticky face and rubs his sore, bruised shoulder with a wince.  He stumbles out of Max’s bed, now damp with David’s sweat.  He almost runs to the bathroom, feeling his stomach churn.

 

He manages to make it to the toilet and vomits his dinner.  He spits into the bowl of it, bile stinging his tongue and he winces as he feels his stomach twist and protest before settling slightly.  He falls back and leans against the wall, letting the cool tile soothe his head.  He pulls Max’s sweat-damp hoodie up and over his head; if he pukes again, he’d hate for any to get on something of his boyfriend’s.

 

_You think he’s still going to want to be with you after all this?  That’s pretty self-absorbed of you._

 

David shakes his head and wets a washcloth, wiping his face and hair down, eventually wiping his torso as well, wincing as he goes over the bruises on his shoulder.  The ringing stops.  Confused, he looks around.  He walks back into the room, carrying the hoodie and shirt in his arm.  He finds his pink phone lit with the notice of voicemails.  He presses the button to listen, the automated voice ringing out.

  
  


**4 NEW MESSAGES.**

 

**FIRST MESSAGE AT 5:44 PM FROM: MOM**

 

_“Hey, baby!  It’s your momma!  I just wanted to ask if you were going to come home for Thanksgiving this year.  I know you said you wanted to visit your little friend Gwen this year, so I told Henry you might not be coming.  He was disappointed, of course, but don’t let that stop you!  You’ve been working so hard lately to get that camp of yours into ship-shape, and I’m so happy for you.  You’ve always been such a hard worker, but even hard workers need a good break every now and again!_

 

_“And feel free to bring that young man you keep telling me about with you!  Goodness knows someone so down on their luck could use a good meal and good company.  Anyways, I love you!  See ya!”_

  
  


**SECOND MESSAGE AT 6:03 PM FROM: UNKNOWN NUMBER**

 

_“Davey, my boy!  Listen, I’m ready to go whenever you’re ready, so the second you get everything together, call me and tell me so I can get Matches over to the Hole.  He’ll take it from there, don’t worry._

 

_“You’ve never disappointed me so far, Davey.  Don’t let me down now”._

  
  


**THIRD MESSAGE AT 6:20 PM FROM: MAX <3**

 

_“Uh… hey David.  It’s me._

 

_“I know we, um, kinda left on a bad note, and I wanted to say… fuck-”_

  
  


**FOURTH MESSAGE AT 6: 27 PM FROM: MAX <3**

 

_“Hey, David.  It’s me again.  Uh, ignore that last one._

 

_“Um, I’m sorry I’m really bad at this.  Fuck, that’s not what I wanted to apologize for…  Look, I’m sorry I acted like a dick.  I was being a selfish asshole like I always am, and yeah that’s no excuse, but I’m sorry._

 

_“The truth is that I love you, and I need you, and I don’t always know the right things to say or the right things to do to let you know that, and I’m going to fuck up a lot.  And I know that one day, a month, a year, ten, however long it takes, you’re probably going to wake up and realize I’m not nearly as good as you make me out to be and you could do better, so you’ll leave me, but fuck it.  I love you so much, and I need you to know that you’re the best thing to happen to me in a long time._

 

_“I need you to tell me how to be a good person, David.  I know I can be selfish, and irresponsible, and a fuck up, and I’m bad at communicating, and I do stupid shit to annoy you on purpose, but you always seemed to find something in me that was worthwhile, and sometimes when you’re around, I can see it too, but… it makes me scared.  Because, like, what if I’m not the person I thought I was you know?  Who the fuck else would I be if I wasn’t this giant asshole that fucked people over all the time, you know?_

 

_“I’m sorry, I’m being selfish again._

 

_“I… I  like that you sing Taylor Swift in the kitchen at six in the morning when I’m trying to get coffee, and you bring your own bags to the grocery store because you’re worried about the environment.  I like that you keep trying to get me to be interested in shitty camp stuff, and that you do paperwork in glitter pen like you’re a middle school girl._

 

_“You’re a good person David, and don’t fucking forget that, okay?  It’s… I used to think it was really stupid, how nice you are, and if you ever tell anyone I said this then I’ll deny it, but… I think it’s good you do that.  And it’s important that you keep being good, even if no one appreciates you for it._

 

_“Look, whatever you want to do with the… the cocaine, you go ahead, but whatever you do, do it for yourself.  Don’t do it just because Campbell, or me, or anyone else tells you to.  You matter too much to play drug mule for anybody.  I’m sorry that Campbell used you, and I’m sorry that you got so fucked over that you felt like no one would want you, because that’s not fucking true._

 

_"I’m… I’d- if you want, that is- I’d really like it if you came over to Nerris and Nikki’s.  To meet everyone.  I think they’d like you, and I want to apologize to you again in person...  Uh, you don’t have the address, do you?  I’ll text it to you after this…_

 

_“I love you, David.  I’ll see you soon”._

  
  


**END OF MESSAGES.**

  


David stares out the window.  Then, he stands, puts a dry shirt on, and gets his car keys.  He gets into the car with a heave, and tries to forget the vivid feeling of mud in his mouth and fingers pressing against his bruise.

 

_He’s lying, you’re too difficult to love._

 

David grits his teeth and listens to Max’s voicemail again, so he can hear him tell him he loves him again.  He pulls out of the driveway and takes off down the road, using his phone as a GPS.

 

_You’re going pretty fast.  You should open the car door and jump out._

 

David activated the lock on his car door and continued to drive at a steady pace.

 

_He’s not going to take you back._

 

He breathes deep, turns on the Farmer’s Almanac, and focuses on the weather of the year 1984.

 

He’s going to make things right.

 

He feels tears fall from his eyes, but he wipes them and continues driving, determination pouring from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me at beastfeast87.tumblr.com if you want to send asks about Herringbone or anything else! Thanks for reading! Leave a comment on your thoughts, they're the only thing keeping me motivated right now.


	20. Hey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've got another confession to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what? I wrote another maxvid story called Foxglove! Read it here if you so choose, or do not, as it is full of graphic violence and lots of good gore: http://archiveofourown.org/works/13385307/chapters/30659583
> 
> In other news, so sorry for the lack of updates. I've been very bad, but I had the week from hell ;-;  
> (and i'm also writing other maxvid surprises but shhhhh ;) )

Max is taking a long drag of a blunt when he hears a knock.  He holds it and then blows the smoke out, his head pleasantly fuzzy.  “Nerris!  The door!” Nikki yells.

 

“You’re closer!” Nerris yells back.

 

“Why the fuck are you yelling, you’re two feet apart,” Neil asks, not looking up from his game.

 

“Fuck you, that’s why!” yells Nikki, upside down on the couch and watching TV.  “Nerris!” she whines, slapping her hand ineffectively against her girlfriend’s thigh.

 

“Ugh.  Fine,” groans Nerris.  “But only because I love you”.  Max hands the blunt off to Neil as Nerris trundles off to the door.  “Max!  There’s a redhead here for you!”

 

“Shit, David,” he mumbles to himself.  Max feels his heart rise to his throat.  “Yeah, gimme a sec,” he calls back, grunting as he stands up.  

 

“Good luck dude,” Neil mumbles from his chair, smoke billowing from his mouth.

 

“Yeah, thanks,” he replies.  He makes his way to the door anxiously and pulls his hood up against the intrusion of the cold air.  

 

He spots David in the doorway, nervously fidgeting and bundled up in a brown leather bomber jacket he’s never seen before.  His teal eyes brighten slightly at the sight of Max, and he offers a tight, false grin.  “H-Hey,” he says, biting his lip.

 

Max’s face is careful but offers a small upturn of the lips as well in offering.  “Hey”.  He turns to Nerris.  “Nerris, do you mind if we borrow your porch for a few?” he asks.

 

“Knock yourself out,” Nerris calls, already on her way back to the living room.  “Just don’t be too damn loud!”

 

Max shuts the door, stepping out to the porch rail where David leans.  He looks out to the street nervously, eyes flicking between Max and the neighborhood.  David scrunches his nose when Max pulls out his lighter.  “You shouldn’t smoke, Max,” he chides quietly.

 

Max sighs and puts his hand back in his pocket.  “Yeah, I know,” he agrees, leaning against the rail next to him.  He clenches his hand around the box of cigarettes.  “I know”.  He lights one anyways.

 

They sit in silence a moment, traffic rolling by.  “I’m…” David begins, shifting nervously.  “I’m sorry,” he murmurs moving closer to Max.  “I got your message”.

 

Max grimaces.  “I’m sorry,” he mumbles.  “That was kinda stupid of me”.

 

“No!” David denies, shaking his head.  “It was very touching.  I’m glad that… I’m very grateful to you, Max.  That you try so hard for my sake.  I don’t deserve it.  I’m sorry that I-” David breaks off and swallows.  “I’m sorry about almost hitting you,” he says, hugging himself.  “I’m sorry that I… I wasn’t- I'm not a very good boyfriend.  You were just trying to help me-”

 

“David-” Max’s lips thin, frowning.

 

David waves his hand, shaking his head.  “No, no.  You were right.  I am a coward”.  He laughs without humor, sides shaking.  It’s cold.  “I don’t want to do all that stuff for Campbell.  I never wanted to.  I just wanted someone to be proud of me,” David admits, looking down.  “And that’s so stupid,” he says looking down angrily, “Because that means that everyone that I  _do_ care about isn’t enough; and they are!”  He shakes his head.  “Sorry, I’m… I’m just sorry”.

 

Max swallows, his throat tight.  “I’m sorry too.  For everything.  I shouldn’t have acted like such an asshole,” he says, picking his nails.  He watches their breath fume and pool in the air, dissipating soon after.  He’s not nearly high enough for this.  He takes another drag.

 

“You were just trying to help me," he assures.

 

“Yeah,” he shoots back with a derisive snort.  “Look where that got us,” he frowns.  “I’m sorry I called you a coward.  You’re not.  You’re actually pretty fuckin’ tough”.

 

“Do you think so?” David asks, looking wistfully out over the road.  “I never feel very tough”.

 

“Sure.  I don’t know anyone else that so clearly knows the world is out to fuck them over, but tries to make things good anyways”.

 

“Well… what about you?”

 

Max frowns.  “What do you mean?”

 

David gives a small smile.  “Well, I know you think everything is terrible, but you still try for me.  It’s nice.  I’m glad you do it”.  He nudges Max with his elbow.  He pulls his hand out of his pocket and hesitantly extends it to a half hug, giving Max ample time to escape.  He doesn't.  He doesn’t want to.  David wraps his arm around his waist hesitantly, giving a small squeeze.  “I love you too,” he says softly.

 

“Too?”

 

“Over the phone,” David clarifies, “You told me you loved me.  I love you too”.  Max breathes deeply, the crisp, cold air filling his lungs and puts out his cigarette.  David sighs, and leans his head against his shoulder.  His red hair tickles Max’s neck, warmth from David seeping into his hoodie.  “I don’t know what to do, Max”.  Max turns his face into David’s hair and hesitantly nuzzles into the soft scent.  “I can’t keep doing this.  I… I was miserable all those years working for Mr. Campbell.  Maybe I never realized it, or told myself I was happy, but I was hurting wasn’t I?”

 

“Then why do you keep doing it?” he asks.  “If you’re so goddamn miserable, why don’t you quit?”

 

“Because I’m good at it!  It’s the only thing I know how to do, and I do it pretty well!”.  The redhead shifts next to him, curling close.  “Familiarity, maybe.  I mean, what else would I do?  Who else would I be?”  David sighs heavily against his neck, and Max feels his chest tighten at the familiar words.  “Does any of it really matter?”

 

“Probably not,” he says, “But you could at least do whatever you want.  I mean, why not, right?”

 

David pulls away and taps the banister.  “What do I want?”

 

“You’ll figure it out,” Max shrugs.  “You always pick yourself back up again...  What did you do with the shit while I was gone?”

 

David frowns slightly, embarrassed.  “I… left it.  I haven’t touched it,” he admits.  “I don’t want to.  I’m not muling it”.

 

Max feels a spark of pride in his chest, and a slight smile twitches his lips.  “I’m…” he shifts uncomfortably.  “I’m proud of you, David”.  He turns away when David’s eyes snap to his, wide with surprise.  “Even if no one else is”.

 

He hears David swallow thickly.  “Thank you, Max,” he croaks.  “That means a lot to me”.

 

“If you want, we can throw it all in the incinerator and burn it,” he offers, David’s eyes sparkling with the idea.  “We don’t have to have anything to do with that shit ever again if you don’t want to.  We can just light it on fire and forget it ever existed”.

 

David’s soft green eyes brim with tears lit gold by the streetlamps.  “Max," his voice trembles, crumbling, “Can I have a hug?”  Max feels his heart twist.  He opens his arms, trying not to seem eager.  David immediately jumps into them, curling into the shorter man and burying his face into Max’s neck.  He wraps his arms around David’s waist hesitantly, letting David cry on the shoulder of his hoodie.  “I was so scared that you wouldn't want me anymore,” sobbed David, muffled by the cloth of Max’s hoodie.  

 

“Of course I still want you,” he murmurs, relishing in the feeling of holding and being held.  “I love you”.

 

David laughs slightly, snuggling closer.  “When you left, I thought you might not come back,” he murmurs, ashamed.

 

Max clutches him closer, the pressure delicious against his shoulders.  God, it felt so good to hug David again.  “Well, to be fair, you kinda met me halfway”.

 

“I was so scared”.

 

“I know”.  He did.

 

David wipes his eyes and buries his face in Max’s hoodie.  “I just…  It felt like it was so easy for you, you know?”  David laughs balefully and shakes his head.  “For you to love me when everything is easy _._  Everything was so good and fine, but then…”  David shakes his head again.  “And the second you left, it felt like you might think I was too difficult to be around.  To be _with_ ”.

 

Max sighs.  Maybe he was right, in a way.  It _had_ been easy to love David in the vacuum of the camp, where it seemed that the real world couldn’t touch them and everything could be solved with his roommate's shirt or a rusty crowbar.  So simple and _easy._  As if every problem from the outside slid off the surface of the camp like oil.  “David, I don’t _want_ easy.  Maybe I thought I did at one point or…” he hides in David’s shoulder.  “Maybe I needed it,” he admitted.  “On some level, maybe I needed it to just be fucking easy for a moment, but I don’t think I want it.  Not really”.

 

David sniffles.  “What do you mean?”

 

“David, my life needs a certain amount of ‘fucking up’ for me to keep moving.  I don't want to just sit around doing nothing, or mindlessly being happy.  I want to change”.  Max clenched his jaw.  “You’re not too difficult, and I’m not going to leave.  I’m tired of leaving.  I’m just afraid you’ll make me leave”.

 

“Why would I make you leave?  I’d never do that!” David says, wide doe eyes staring into him.  Searching for answers he didn’t have.

 

“Because I’m not good,” he struggles to articulate.  “I want to be at least fucking decent, but I’m… not”.

 

“A day, a month, a year, ten,” David whispers, and Max flinches hard at hearing his own words.  “Max, I’m not going to just wake up one day and decide I don’t love you anymore.  That’s not how this works.  That’s not how any of that works”.

 

Max turns his head and frowns at the floor angrily.  “I don’t know.  It could be.  It could fucking happen like that.  I don't want it to, but it could,” Max says staring out at the cold landscape.  He wants another cigarette.  He shouldn’t.  He doesn’t.

 

“Max,” David grabs his hand in his and places it on his cold cheek.  “I love you, and that won’t happen.  Can you believe me when I say that?”

 

Max turns and gives a tense nod.  “Okay.  I’ll… work on it”.

 

“Good,” says David, nudging him with his shoulder.  “Now let’s get inside!  We shouldn’t be out when it’s so chilly”.

 

Max grins deviously.  “Oh yeah?  You gonna warm me up, baby?” he purrs, pushing in close behind him and playfully nipping at David’s ear.  David shrieks gleefully and stumbles in with an embarrassed laugh.  “Hey, assholes!  My boyfriend’s here!”

 

“He’s real?  I thought you were making him up!” shouts Nerris from the den.

 

Max leads David through the hall.  “Fuck off!”  David pushes close to him nervously, the room slightly hazy with smoke.  He sees David crinkle his nose out of the corner of his eye.  “Everyone this is David”.

 

“Nice to meet you,” Neil says curiously, standing and offering a hand.

 

David takes it and shakes it vibrantly, grinning all the while.  “It’s nice to meet you!  And you are?”

 

Max grins and claps his hand on Neil’s shoulder.  “Oh, come on David, are you blind?  This is my brother, Neil!”  He reaches over sneakily and snags the blunt from Neil’s relaxed fingers.  "Can't you see the family resemblance?"

 

“From the same shit show,” Neil agrees, slinging his arm around him hesitantly.  “It’s super fucking weird with you being so…”

 

“Touchy-feely?” adds Nikki from the couch, pausing her upside down video game race.

 

“Yeah,” agrees Neil.  Max takes a deep drag, the smoke smoothly filling his lungs.  He watches David with one eye open.  David’s face flushes bright and Max smirks, an odd feeling creeping into him like the smoke.  He blows the smoke up to the ceiling.

 

“Nikki, you useless dyke!  Get your ass up and say hi to David!” he yells, kicking the sofa.  “He came all the way here in the fucking cold to say hi”.

 

Nikki heaves a great sigh, as though existing were simply too difficult a challenge at the moment, and swung her legs around.  She barely missed smacking Nerris in the face, who also stood.  The pair bounced up to David, who shrank back in surprise at having his personal space suddenly invaded.  “Aw, Max!  You did so good!” Nerris cooes, as Nikki grabs David’s face.

 

“Yeah, he’s cute!  How the fuck did your ugly ass get him?” Nikki asks, David whining when she pinches his cheeks.

 

“Oh, fuck you, you’ve got no room to talk.  You ate a spider off my dirty ass apartment wall, and you still got a girlfriend!” he snaps without heat.  “David, this is Nerris and Nikki, they’re assholes and dating”.

 

“N-nice to- ow!  Nice to meet you,” David said and introduced himself, smiling with a wince.  

 

Max grinned, feeling warm and comfortable.  He felt slow and relaxed, his friends surrounding him and his boyfriend close by.  He sucked the last of the joint and threw the roach in the trash, his head pleasantly fuzzy and skin number than before.  “Alright, give him back you dicks,” he says, helping Nerris pull Nikki away from trying to bite David’s hand.

 

“Thank you,” David says with a shy smile.

 

“Anytime”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> drop a comment and tell me what you think! Did the reunion live up to your expectations or has it fallen flat?


	21. Strawberry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> High time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm slowly edging to a stable update schedule... shout out to my buddy campeshrub for letting me bounce ideas for this chapter off them in the middle of the night.

“Eat my ass, you fuckin’ dino”.

 

“That sounds terrifying”.

 

“You don’ know me.  Maybe I like the teeth.  Raw me, Daddy Yoshi”.

 

“Never speak to me again”.

 

Max clicked his tongue.  “Come on, Neil.  Let me fuck a dinosaur.  You owe me this”.

 

Neil shakes his head, focused on leading his cart with Yoshi riding inside to safety.  “You will die”.

 

“As my friend, you should support my dinosaur fuckin’,” he says conversationally, David giggling above him.  He turns quickly and throws a bomb at an NPC, sliding into fourth place.

 

“Do you even want to fuck a dinosaur?” Neil drones apathetically.

 

“Not really, but the support for the option would be nice”.

 

“I would fuck a Rex,” Nerris chirps from Nikki’s shoulder, her eyes focused on her Gameboy Advance as Nikki drove her cart off another cliff.  She shifted under her girlfriend.  “Dinosaurs are super hot”.

 

“Eh, I’m not sure,” Nikki said, “But yeah, I’d like the option.  What if I want to fuck a raptor  _ later  _ but not  _ now? _ ”  Nikki throws a blue shell, narrowly avoiding a banana on the track.

 

“FUCK YOU NIKKI, YOU BITCH ASS JURASSIC PARK GARBAGE TITTY LICKER!” screeches Neil, getting caught in the blue shell’s atomic explosion, hurling his cart into a pond.

 

Max cackles loudly, stealing his way into third.  “Is he okay?” David whispers from above him.

 

“Yeah, he just gets shouty when he’s high,” he responds in return.  It’s true, the curly haired man didn’t seem to know the meaning of volume, voice raising and falling erratically.

 

“Would you fuck a dinosaur, David?” asked Nikki from the couch, finishing the race in first and earning flailing slaps from Neil.

 

David’s face flushes cutely and Max grins, his mind warm and happy in the silly atmosphere and fun banter.  “W-What kind of question is that?!”

 

“A yes or no one,” she replies with a sharp grin.

 

“U-Um… no?  It sounds scary!” he says honestly, looking hesitantly down at Max.  “And besides: I have a boyfriend!”

 

“Awwwww,” coos Max, pinching David’s cheek.  The angle was awkward, Max shifting his head and shoulders on David’s lap.  “You care about me”.

 

“Y-Yes…?” replies David hesitantly as if afraid he was missing a joke.

 

“Aw, I care about you too,” Max says with a wink.

 

“Nasty,” said Nikki from the couch.

 

“Good,” replied Max, running his hands through David’s cowlick, watching the hair spring back up into place by itself when the taller man shook his head.  “How does it fuckin’ do that?”  He ruffles the hair in his hands again, forcing the strands into messy waves and curls.

 

David grins and shakes it again, and max watches as it almost magically flips back into his usual curl.  “I don't know!  I always thought it looked kinda silly, but it's the only haircut I look normal in,” he seems to admit with embarrassment.

 

Max’s mind, soft with his high, urges him to dig his hands back into the shiny, ginger locks.  “No way.  You look like…” he frowns, trying to think.  His mind sparks a thought and he grins suddenly.  “You look like a sexy strawberry ice cream cone”.

 

David bursts out laughing, a small snort interrupting at moments, causing Max to break into helpless giggles as well.  “No, no, his hair is redder than that!  It’s not fucking pink!” insists Neil.

 

“Shit, you’re right,” Max mumbles.  “Cherry?  Raspberry?”

 

“Maybe,” Neil admits.

 

“You’re right though, about the ice cream part.  His hair does kinda have the flippy-swirl that ice cream has at the top,” offers Nikki, eyeing his boyfriend’s hair.

 

“Right?!  Thank you!” he exclaims.

 

David lets out loud, raucous laughter like he hasn’t laughed in days.  Maybe he hasn’t.  “Goodness, you must be so high to say something like that!”

 

“What, you don' think you're sexy?” Max pesters playfully, poking David's sides.

 

David wriggles under him.  “I don't think  _ strawberry ice cream _ is sexy,” he answers delicately with a smile, trying to squirm away from Max’s poking fingers.

 

“That's not what I asked,” Max shot back, readying his controller for the next race.

 

“Dude, strawberry ice cream is  _ inherently _ sexy,” Nikki argues back, her character swinging its cart over a jump with a flip.  “Everybody’s favorite ice cream that's strawberry is a fucking kinkster, I'm telling you”.

 

“How does that work?” Neil replied, holding steady his place in first.  “Your favorite flavor is Superman, but I know for a fact that you're into some fucked up shit”.

 

“Well, not  _ all _ kinksters' favorites are strawberry, but everyone’s favorite that is strawberry is a kinkster.  It's like how all apples are fruits, but not all fruits are apples, y’know?” replied Nerris.

 

David giggles.  “You are all so ridiculous.  And  _ you _ ,” David emphasized nudging Max, “Are twanging so bad right now!  What are you even saying?”

 

Oh.  Right.  He’d mostly left his slight accent behind when he’d moved as a kid, but it’d flare up occasionally.  Especially when he’s high.  “Fuck you, ya li’le shit,” he says, playing it up a bit.

 

David laughs loudly, his head rolling back.  “Oh my gosh, are you from Manhattan or something?” he asks, still giggling.

 

“I’m from Middlesex County, baby,” he replies, curling his lip in a playful sneer.

 

David coughed.  “I’m sorry?!”

 

“Jersey,” Neil replied loudly.  “He’s ah fuckin’ Joisey boy,” he says in a heavy imitation of Max’s lighter accent.  “I’m Max!  Whea’s mah fuckin’ black cwaffee?”

 

“Fuck you, not everyone can be raised in the northwest”.

 

“Not to change the subject,” Neil interjected loudly, “But can we take a moment to just appreciate how good my makeup is right now?”  He gestured to his face wildly and pushed his glasses to the top of his head.  “I feel so fucking hot”.

 

“Super great, Neil,” Nerris chirped.  “Those wings could fly me to Mount Doom”.  Neil blew a kiss gratefully.  Nikki wrinkled her nose.  It was no secret she disliked every makeup but the kind that you wore on Halloween.

 

“You look very nice, Neil,” David offered awkwardly, as if unsure what to say.

 

Neil smiled gratefully.  “So sweet”.

 

He snorted.  “Oh my god.  Neil.  Impregnate my mouth.  You look so hot,” Max replied in as sarcastic a deadpan he could manage.

 

“Max, I love you, but I will not do this,” Neil loftily replied.

 

Max cackled.  “Wow, I'm not that fuckin’ ugly am I?”

 

“I think you're the most handsome man in the world,” David interjected.  Max looked over at him, jaw open before breaking into peals of laughter.  David flushed bright red in embarrassment.  “I-I didn't mean to say that out loud”.

 

“Holy shit, David,” was all Max could manage.  He wasn’t good with compliments sober, and he wasn’t much better when high.

 

“Aw!  Babe, why don’t you tell me shit like that?” asks Nerris.

 

“I bring you dead animals.  What more do you want?” huffs Nikki.

 

Nerris laughs.  “Fair, fair”.  She frowns after a moment.  “I feel bad that we smoked all the weed,” Nerris mumbles under her breath.

 

“I'm not,” Nikki and Neil said in unison deadpan.

 

“Strawberry over there said he didn't want any,” Neil said at a slightly raised volume.  “I'm not going to feel guilty for smoking all of  _ my _ weed”.

 

“It’s fine,” David reaffirms as he had earlier.  “I told you, I don’t smoke”.

 

“Stay in school kids,” Nerris mumbles under her breath.  Max let out a laugh that was just a touch too loud.

 

“Fuck, now all I want is ice cream,” Nikki groans from the side.  “Nerris… help me…”

 

“I hate you,” Nerris mumbles, finishing her level and closing her game after saving.  “It’s almost midnight and all I want is some fucking pizza and ice cream”.

 

Max and Neil groan next to each other.  “Oh my god, pizza and ice cream sounds so fucking good, I hate both of you,” Neil grumbles.

 

Max flips himself off the couch with a grunt and wanders into the kitchen to fumble with the take-out menus.  “Does the pizza place deliver ice cream?!” he yells.  God, pizza sounded so good right now.  Or something fried.  Fried chicken and ice cream.  Damn, he needs to stop this train of thought right now, or he’s going to drool.

 

“I don’t know, check!” Yells Nerris back.

 

“ASK IF THEY HAVE PRALINE PECAN!” shouts Neil.

 

Max flips through the pamphlet desperately.  “It’s pick up only!  Fuck!” Max yells back.

 

“I’ll get it!” David volunteers, walking in.  “I don’t mind!” he assures.

 

“Aw, your boyfriend’s so nice, Max!  You can keep him!”  Nerris chirps from the living room.  

 

“Yeah, I fuckin' plan on it!” he confirms, a sudden wave of emotions engulfing him.  Fuck, he shouldn’t get so emotional.  He opens his arms shyly, looking away.  Thankfully, David seems to understand and wraps his arms around Max gratefully.  Max sighs, his high dulling his senses just enough to the point that hugging David doesn’t feel like too much.  He’s grateful that he can enjoy the warmth his boyfriend offers without struggling against himself like he usually does.

 

“I missed you,” David whispers, hugging him tight while his friends yell at each other in the background.  “I know I keep saying it, but it’s true”.

 

“Missed you too,” Max mumbles.  “Sorry I’m all high and stuff, I know that’s not really your thing,” he says, a little awkward.

 

David pulls back and shakes his head.  “No, it’s fine.  We’ve both… been stressed and while I’m not happy about it,” he says with a slight grimace, “I won’t stop you.  Just… I know I can’t stop you, but nothing beyond this, okay?  Please?”

 

“David, I don’t do that shit,” he hisses back.  “I promise, alright?  I’m not-!”

 

“I’m not saying you are,” David says complacently, “I’m just saying that I’d rather you don’t start, alright?  Please?”

 

Max takes a deep breath, pushing his thoughts.  “Yeah.  Yeah, alright”.

 

“Okay,” David says with a smile.  “Now, I’m going to go get ice cream and pizza,” he begins, grabbing the pizza pamphlet with the address and menu on it.  “What kind of ice cream do you want”.

 

“I don’t know,” Max says with a sharp, playful grin.  “What kind will you let me eat off you?” he asks pushing close.

 

David flushes spectacularly, and Max laughs when he stutters.  “W-Why would you say that!?” he squeaks out, flattening himself to the wall and using the menu as a makeshift barricade between them to cover his face.

 

Max laughs again, his chuckle rough with smoke.  “Aw, did I embarrass you?” he coos playfully.  “Come on, you don’t want me to lick you all over?” he teases, pushing close enough to lick playfully at David’s neck.  He knows it’s sloppy, he’s not graceful when he’s sober, never mind when he’s high, but David gives him that sharp little inhale that he loves to hear.

 

Max smirks against the wet spot on his neck, David’s trembling lips pressed to his forehead.  “Max.  Come on, let me go”.

 

Max playfully nips the skin of his neck, the delicate skin caught between his teeth.  “But I just got you back!” he protests.

 

“Max!  Quit macking on your boyfriend!  I’m fucking hungry, you spicy bitch!” Neil yells behind them.

 

“Bite my ass!” he yells back.

 

David chuckles and pushes Max away gently, wiping his neck with a wince and a sheepish grin.  “Well, I’d better go get our food,” he says begrudgingly.  “What kind of ice cream does everyone want?  And how many pizzas?”

 

“Just tell them it’s for Nikki and ask for three usuals!” Nikki yells.  “Babe what kind do you want?” Nikki seems to ask an uninvolved Nerris.

 

“Yes,” Nerris replies.

 

“That means cookie dough,” she says looking up.  “Uh… I’ll take a fuckin’... chocolate!”

 

“Alright, I know Neil said praline.  Max, what do you want?” he asks, turning to his boyfriend eagerly, pulling on his jacket and grabbing his keys out of the pocket.

 

Max ponders a moment before smirking.  “Strawberry,” he replies with mocking sweetness.

 

David chuckles.  “Okay”.

 

“What kind are you going to get?” he asks with a quirked brow.

 

David thinks a moment before a playful smile turns his lips.  “Chocolate Cherry Garcia.  Because I’m red and sweet, and you,” he bops Max on the nose, and Max slaps the hand with a grin, “Are dark and bitter”.  He grins triumphantly.

 

Max can’t help but laugh.  The pride on his boyfriend’s face and the reasoning were both too hilarious to him.  “Oh my god!  That’s so fucking awful, get out!”

 

David pouts playfully.  “No kiss?”

 

“I told you, I’ll do more than kiss you if you bring back ice cream!” he sneers, pushing him out the door.

 

“I love you,” David calls, walking to his car.  “Be back soon!”

 

“You too, ice cream boy!” he calls back, and slams the door behind him.

 

Two slain dragons and four newly sobered friends with the munchies later, David comes in through the door with three pizzas and five personal pints of ice cream.  “I’m back!  And I have food!”

 

“Thank you David, I love you!” yells Nikki, her giant hammer breaking the thunder dog’s horns and sending him into a dizzy spell with a howl.

 

“Back off, he’s mine,” Max shoots back in the most detached voice he can, and for a moment, he's almost overcome with gratefulness.  That he can sit in his friend's apartment, with his boyfriend who's just brought him food and made up with, and smoke weed with the only people that have ever given a shit about him.

 

His stomach gurgles.  He slumps back onto the couch with a satisfied grin.  “So,” he says.  “Who’s goin’ stop me from makin’ it Waluigi Time again?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen... Max's VA, Michael Jones, is from Middlesex County in New Jersey... so if Camp Camp had been made a few years earlier... Max would have had a Jersey accent. Jersey Max would have been. Fucking incredible.
> 
> put your opinion on dinosaur fucking in the comments


	22. Shovels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me? update on time? wow.

The next morning, Max wakes to see David watching him with half-lidded eyes and a soft, peculiar look on his face.  He groans and rubs his eyes.  “Sorry,” David whispers quietly, thumb rubbing over Max’s hand.

 

“What for?” he rasps, throat dry.  Fuck, he could use some coffee.

 

“I feel like I woke you up,” he mumbles.  “I’m sorry for staring.  That was… I’m weird.  That was weird.  Sorry,” he mumbles, apologies falling from his lips as he scrunches his teal eyes shut.

 

“Nothin’ to be sorry about”.  He yawns, sitting up on the fold-out mattress.  “Why were you watching me?”

 

David is quiet a moment.  “I’m just…  I’m just glad I came. I’m glad you forgave me”.  He sits up himself and wraps his arms around Max’s shoulders.  He shivers, the warmth of David’s body pressing through his shirt.  Touching was easier when he was high, but god, if he doesn’t love the overstimulation of it sober.

 

“It was nothing,” Max replies, tipping his head back over David’s shoulder, accepting the touch with twitching fingers.  “You forgave me though.  That’s not fucking easy”.

 

David hums and presses a small kiss to Max’s cheek.  “It wasn’t nothing, I almost hit you.  I still feel awful”.

 

“I knew you wouldn’t.  Besides, I kind of pushed you into it, didn’t I?” he replies.  It’s not the worst he’s been through, not even close.

 

“Don’t you dare say that it’s your fault,” David whispers, tightening his hold on Max.

 

“I’m not!” he protests, pulling himself out of the embrace.  “Look, I-” he groans.  “I know I’m not fucking easy to be around-”

 

“Stop,” David says, grabbing his hand.  He smiles thinly, but honestly.  “Just stop.  I like being around you.  I love you”.  He moves closer, earnest.  “Can I prove that?”

 

Max swallows.  “David, I love you, but I’m not having sex with you on my friend’s couch while they sleep in the other room”.

 

David sputters, face flushing.  “Not like  _ that! _  I just wanted to kiss you!” he says, smacking Max with his pillow.

 

Max laughs, the pillow thumping against his cheek.  He catches David’s wrist the second swipe around and yanks David forward.  The ginger man falls forward and faceplants into the pillow with a tumble.  “Hmph!  You butt.  All I wanted was a kiss,” David says with an adorable pout.

 

“Are you fucking five?  Just call me an ass like anyone else,” he shoots back with a snort, swooping down to try and press a kiss to his boyfriend’s lips.

 

David turns his face away, and Max’s lips land on his cheek.  “Nope!  You messed around too long and now I don’t care!” he teases with a small giggle, biting his bottom lip, green eyes sparkling with mischief.

 

Max growls playfully, turning his kiss into a cheeky bite to David’s earlobe.  He nips carefully with a smirk, hovering just over David.  He hears David's breath catch, and feels him shift beneath him.  Is he nervous?  He runs his teeth along the pulse of David’s neck, feeling the blood pump under his lips.  The pace of the pulse is rising.  It sends a thrill through him.  David turns, hand curling into Max’s hair fervently for a kiss.  Max pulls away, feigning nonchalance and David’s eyes opened in confusion.  “Wh-”

 

“You fucked around too long.  Now I don’t give a shit”.  He smirked at David’s almost betrayed expression before rolling out of bed and grabbing his hoodie.  “I’m going to make coffee and clean up.  Bathroom’s over there,” he motions to the room.  He begins to brush his teeth while he pours coffee grounds into the filter of the coffee maker.  “Nikki, Neil, and Nerris helped me put my shit in my car yesterday before you got here,” he says around his toothbrush and spat into the sink, while David sat up and pulled a clean shirt on.  He caught sight of something odd.  “What the hell is that?”

 

David looks up sharply with a confused expression.  “What’s what?”

 

Max points.  “That.  The bruise.  What happened?  Did you get hit by another car while I was gone or something?”

 

David’s hand claps over the dark blue bruise on his shoulder nervously.  He winces and then rubs it gently, trying to soothe it.  He laughs anxiously, and Max’s eyes narrow.  “Haha, um, I don’t know!” he says with a nervous grin, hastily pulling on his plain green shirt.  “I must have hit myself doing the gutters or something”  He clears his throat as he drags his things to the bathroom.  “You were saying about your stuff?” he inquires, poking his head out of the doorway.

 

“Yeah, I left some shit at my old apartment and they grabbed it for me,” he replies still frowning, trying to be quiet.  Nerris and Neil could be brutal, early in the morning.  They’d been almost murdered him when he’d woken at seven in the morning before going to the mall.

 

“How nice of them!” he says, coming out with a clean pair of jeans.  Max pours black coffee into a disposable coffee cup.  “Say, I was wondering,” David hesitantly begins.  “Would you be opposed to meeting one of my friends?” he asks hopefully.

 

Max grimaced slightly, shifting so his back was against the counter and threw his toothbrush to his backpack.  David meeting his friends, and Max meeting David’s were two completely different situations.  Of  _ course _ his friends would like David; everyone liked David.  Hell, even he, the bitterest asshole in the world, liked David.  Not too many people liked Max though, and for good reason.  For a long time he’d only been friends with Neil, and then it was Neil and Nikki until college.

 

“We don’t have to,” David said hastily as if to placate.  “I just thought it would be nice”.  David shifts from foot to foot nervously.  “And… she wants to meet you”.

 

“You told her about me?” he asks in surprise.

 

“Nothing  _ bad _ of course!” he defended.  “I just thought it would be nice,” he repeats, face drooping in disappointment.  “Sorry, that’s probably stupid”.

 

“Nah, let’s do it,” he says, irritated he broke so easily under David’s puppy eyes.  The thought is cast away the second David perks up and smiles shyly.  God, he’s so fucked.  “Is it out of the way?”

 

“No, it’s not far.  The other side of town.  I just thought it would be nice to stop by for an hour or so,” he reassures.

 

“Well, let’s get going then,” he says, setting his coffee down and pushing the bed back into a couch.

 

“Right now?  Shouldn’t we wait for the others to wake up and say goodbye?” David asks, helping push the bed back.

 

“Are you kidding?  Hell no, they’d kill me,” he says, pushing the cushions back into place.  “You might have fucked up my sleep schedule a lot, but this is a house of night owls and anti-morning people.  If you go in there, they’ll light you on fire”.

 

“Don’t you mean I ‘repaired’ your sleep schedule?  You used to wake up at two in the afternoon”.

 

“I said what I said,” he snaps back, pushing his stuff into his backpack.  God, he missed this.  He missed David.  Scribbling a note of departure down, he pauses with the pen in his hand, and glances over.

 

He missed David.  He really had.

 

Max prided his independence.  He hadn’t needed anyone or anything, for a very long time.  He glanced up at David a second time, who pulled on Max’s band hoodie he had never returned.

 

Still, David seemed to need him too.  Would he have come if he didn’t need him?  Would he have come so immediately and as quick as he had if he didn’t need Max as well?  He’d taken to Max’s arms last night eagerly, as if being apart for as long as they had had been too long.

 

Max swallows and finishes the note with jerky movements.  As much as he hated to admit it, he felt a sort of comfort with David around at a level he hadn’t known existed.  He hoped he was enough.  He had never been before, but he hoped this time he was enough.

 

“Max?” David called carefully.  “Are you alright?  You’ve got a weird look on your face,” he asks with concern.

 

Max shakes his head and signs the note.  “Yeah, I’m fine.  Let’s just get out of here”.

  
  


 

* * *

 

  
  


“This is it?” he asks.

 

“Yuppers!” David replies cheerfully.  “This is her work!  Hi, Janice!” David waves to the secretary, an overweight, elderly woman with glasses and bejeweled librarian eyeglass-chains.

 

Janice looks up and grins with slightly crooked teeth.  “Hey there y’all!  So nice to see ya again David!  You must be back to see Gwen, right?  Who’s your little friend?”

 

Max tenses, and loosens his grip on David’s hand.  Was David even out?  What if he was still closeted?  All his worry seemed to be for nothing when David grasps tighter around his loosened fingers.  “This is my boyfriend, Max!” he introduces with a happy grin, his cheeks pink.

 

Janice smiles indulgently.  “Oh, how sweet!  I'm so glad you found someone David, you've always been such a nice boy!”  David smiles shyly and rubs the back of his neck.  “Well, you didn't come here to hear this old lady talk, huh?  Just go on in, Gwen’s expecting you.  You know the room!”

 

David waves gratefully and pulls Max to the hall.  “Don't worry,” he whispers.  “Everyone here is fairly accepting”.

 

Max grunts, and allows his eyes to watch warily for anyone that would look at them wrong.  “Does Gwen know?”

 

“Sure,” David replies easily.  “I told her not long after we got together.  You'll like her, you have… similar humor,” he says delicately.

 

Max raises a brow at that.  David turns and knocks on a door.  “Just be yourself.  You’ve got nothing to be worried about”.

 

“Trust me, I’m not worried,” Max said worriedly with a snort.

 

“Good!” David said nudging him with his shoulder as the door opened.  

 

A woman dressed in immaculate business wear with dark hair and tired eyes opened the door.  She grinned happily, running her hand through her ponytail.  “Hey, guys.  Glad you could make it,” she says.  Max is surprised by how low her voice is.  It isn’t as raspy as his is (an effect of smoking) but simply low and rough like she’s tired.

 

“Of course!  I hope we aren’t bothering you!”

 

“Ha!  Never,” she replies, eyes flicking to Max.  “And you must be Max”.  Her face turns curious, and Max can feel his own expression immediately guard.  He clenches his jaw.  “David’s told me a lot about you.  You must be a pretty good guy for David to talk about you so highly”.  Her eyes bore into him, and he recognizes the prompt.

 

“Hardly,” he says, forcing himself to take her hand to shake it.  He grinds his teeth and releases it almost immediately, taking his hand from David’s and putting both into the rabbit pouch of his hoodie.

 

“Don’t listen to him,” David says chidingly.  Max feels his irritation spike again.   _ He’d better not apologize for me. _  “He can be very nice when he wants to be”.

 

“Yeah, I bet,” she says, watching him curiously before stepping out of the doorway.  “Well, come on in.  Close the door”.

 

Max slots himself behind David and closes the door behind him.  He scans the room, finding children’s drawings covering a wall, and a few framed abstract art pieces framed on the opposite.  A stiff, red couch pressed against the wall, and a few other shelves with stuffed animals and other props littered the room.  Max recognized immediately what kind of job Gwen must have.  He’d been in rooms like this too many times.

 

Gwen and David chatted as the pair took a seat, David on the red couch and Gwen on the leather desk chair by the desk.  Max elected to take a seat next to David, a healthy distance from him.

 

“So you work for David then, Max?” Gwen prodded.  “He’s kind of his own breed of trouble, huh?  I hope you can keep him safe from himself,” she joked.

 

Max snorted.  “Yeah, well, maybe I’m the one that needs the protection.  Did he tell you he pushed me off a roof?”

 

David raised his voice defensively.  “That was an accident!  And I did not push you, you fell off!”

 

“Yeah, because you surprised me with a fucking megaphone!” he shot back, enjoying the red flush of his boyfriend’s cheeks.

 

“It was an accident!” protested the ginger.

 

“Aw, poor Davey, accidentally dislocating his coworker’s arm,” he teases, the barest hint of an edge in his tone.

 

“I fixed it, you were fine!”  David crosses his arms and huffs.  “It’s not like it was really broke or something!  I said sorry and everything!”

 

“Jesus, David.  Do you push every guy you get a crush on off a roof?” Gwen says, watching them with great fondness in her eyes.  Max realizes his mask has slipped, and quickly feigns indifference again.

 

“You had a crush on me?” he interrupts in amusement.  Wow, he was never going to let go of this.  “That’s pretty fucking sad”.

 

“We’re dating,” David replies obviously.

 

“Yeah, and I’m still going to hold it over your head for a while.  Thanks, Gwen”.

 

“Yeah, thanks  _ Gwen, _ ” David says sufferingly and shakes his head.  “Well, now that I’ve been embarrassed, we’ll get out of your hair”.  David and Max stand.  Max hangs behind awkwardly as they hug and say their goodbyes.

 

“Oh, hey, wait,” Gwen interjects as they are about to leave.  “Mind if I borrow Max for a second?”

 

“Why?” asks David, brows turning down in confusion.

 

“She’s probably just going to tell me that if I hurt you she’ll kill me or something, it’s fine David,” Max replies smoothly, though he finds himself on edge.

 

“What?!” squawks David.

 

“Yeah, basically,” agrees Gwen.  “A moment, then?”

 

“Make it quick, David’s got to shave his legs”.

 

“I do not!” protests David behind them loudly.  “Stop telling lies about me!”

 

Gwen closes the door with a chuckle.  “Well, you know the drill, right?”

 

“If I hurt him you’ll kill me?” he prods.

 

“Definitely,” she agrees.

 

“Great,” he mumbles.

 

“Look, David’s kind of a weird guy, but I love him a lot.  He’s been a really good friend to me,” she says, dropping into her leather chair and crossing her legs.  Max clenches his jaw reflexively.  “He’s a good guy, and that’s why I’m telling you that if you fucking hurt him, I will definitely kill you without remorse.  Got it?”

 

“Yeah, I kind of expected that.  I’m not, like, planning on hurting him you know?” he says, opening the door to get out as quick as he can.

 

“That’s not good enough,” Gwen says, turning back to her desk and flipping open a purple folder.  “You have to actively plan to not hurt him.  Goodbye, Max".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!


	23. Between The Wolf And The Dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Between the wolf and the dog" is a phrase to describe the time between sunset and night, the lighting making it difficult to tell the difference between what could be there and what actually is. Is that a wolf after the sheep on the hill, or the dog guarding them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halloween is my favorite holiday. Last year I was an umbreon. I made my own onesie.

_“Hey, Dad?”_

 

_His father looked down to Max from his desk, mulling over his papers.  He didn’t bother to push his tortoiseshell glasses up from his nose, and simply looked over the rims to his son.  “Yes, Max?  I’m very busy”._

 

_Max holds back a sigh.  “I know, but I wanted to ask something”._

 

_His father sighs himself and takes his reading glasses off.  He rubs his pinched brow.  “Then just ask it.  None of this ‘I wanted to ask something,’ just get to the point,” he says impatiently._

 

_Max frowns.  “How did you know you wanted to marry Mom?”_

 

_His father hums thoughtfully.  “Well, your grandmother told me I should marry your mother, and so I did.  It was all arranged very neatly”._

 

_Max frowned.  “So Grandma just told you to marry Mom, and you did?  That sounds kinda shitty”._

 

_“Watch your mouth, young man,” his father’s stiff tone comes back like a crack, firm and leaving no room for argument.  His father frowns and Max’s eye twitches.  “It’s just how things happened for us.  We’ll probably find you someone to marry as well, like your grandmother did for me”._

 

_“So, what, I can’t just find my own wife?  That’s bullsh-” Max bites his tongue.  “That’s BS!”_

 

_His father sighs, and pushes his glasses back onto his face.  “It isn’t so bad, Max.  It isn’t as if me and your mother hate each other, we get along just fine,” he says, flipping oven a manilla folder._

 

_“But you don’t love each other,” Max says flatly._

 

_His father pauses.  “Sometimes.  Sometimes not”._

 

_Max pauses.  “Why don’t you split up?  Neil’s parents are split up and they’re happy, and Neil’s okay and shi- stuff too”.  That was true, and while Max wasn’t fond of Neil’s Mom or Dad, he could see that they weren’t unhappy._

 

_His father scoffs.  “Oh, please.  Divorce is a quitter’s game”.  He flutters his hand sarcastically.  “Your generation is never going to have a real marriage, I swear.  Relationships are work, and if you can't put the work in for it you don't deserve them.  You can't just get a divorce every time something goes wrong or the wind blows the wrong way"._

 

_“That’s-”_

 

_“It isn’t as if either of us would be able to find someone that would have us now,” he interrupts, murmuring.  “We’re too old and no one wants to date someone with a kid- ugh, anyways,” his father scratches his scalp, the fingers running through his hair.  Max flinches at the statement.  “Look, marriage is like buying a car from a used car dealership-”_

 

_“I’m like nine, Dad, I’ve never-”_

 

_“You get what you can afford, you settle on what’ll get you places, and the dealer is always lying,” he finishes.  “We only get what we deserve, Maxwell”.  His father lit a cigarette and blew the smoke out his nose.  “We all only get what we’ve earned”._

 

 

* * *

 

 

“What does that mean?”

 

Max blinks, smoke streaming from his mouth, and hastily puts out his spent cigarette.  “What?”

 

David smiles his worried little smile he made when he was confused, but wanted to reassure.  “I asked if you were ready to start unpacking, and you just stared into space for a long time until you said ‘used cars’?  What did you mean?”  He coughed slightly at the smoke, and Max felt a pang of regret.

 

Max shakes his head.  “Don’t worry about it.  I was just thinking about some stupid shit I heard once.  Let’s just start unboxing”.

 

Max pushes in and runs scissors down the length of a box, David doing the same.  Together, they sort through Max’s things.  Max is on his third box when he pulls out some clothes with a laugh.  “Holy shit, my old school crap!” he jeers.

 

David looks over from his box of kitchenware.  “What kind of school stuff?”

 

Max pulls out a familiar shirt.  “Like my fishnets”.

 

David choked next to him.  “Your _what?!_ ”

 

Max grinned and pulled the mesh shirt and grins.  “Wow, this thing is as ugly as I remember.  Nikki got it for my birthday way back and tried to make me wear it for the night.  God, I didn’t last an hour, I had to put my hoodie back on.  It was _so_ uncomfortable!” he laughs thinking back to the evening filled with stolen beer and greasy pizza.

 

David smiles at him in amusement, before cheekily responding, “Does that mean you won’t wear it for me?”

 

Max recognizes the playful sparkle in his eyes.  “Fuck no!  We’re throwing it out right now actually!” he says, balling the fabric up and tossing it into the trash across the room.  It catches and hangs half out of the rim.

 

“Aw, why not?” David teases nudging him as he opens another box.

 

“Because fuck you,” he says, flicking the man’s ear.  “That’s why”.  David pulls out a familiar looking object.  "Holy shit, Mr. Honeynuts!" he blurts, snatching the raggedy stuffed bear from his boyfriend's fingers.  David chuckles but poorly disguises it as a cough when Max glares.  "Oh, fuck you".  He turns the bear over in his hands.  "God, I thought I'd never see this little bastard again!"

 

"Mr. Honeynuts?" David prods with a wide grin.  He raises an eyebrow.

 

Max groans.  "Ugh, shut the fuck up, I was three".

 

David leans over and examines the bear in Max's hand.  "Where'd you get this little guy from?  He's cute!" he says.  "Aw, what happened to his eye?"

 

"I wanted to make him a pirate," Max replies, lips quirking in a small smirk at his past actions.  "My Gran got him for me".

 

David pauses.  "You've never talked about your Grandmother before.  What was she like?" he asks nudging his shoulder against Max's.

 

Max snorts.  "She was alright.  Better than my parents, but that's not saying much.  Traditional, but god, she was a smart ass".

 

"Oh, is that where you learned it from?" David asks innocently.

 

Max snorts.  "You bet your lily white ass!  My parents sent me to her's for the summers so they wouldn't have to deal with me, and we'd sit on the porch to make fun of the neighbors".  Max felt his lips quirk.  "Closest thing I had to a friend back then.  God, I almost miss that old bitch".

 

David quiets, listening close to the story.  "Is she still...?"

 

"Alive?" he finishes.  "Nah.  Croaked a few years back".  Max frowns.  He hadn't particularly hated the old lady, but hadn't liked her much as he grew older either.  "She wasn't super great to me, but she was... alright.  Decent".

 

"Well," David says with finality, "I'm glad you had someone at least".  Max hums and they both look down at Mr. Honeynuts.  Max rubs his thumb over the patchy fur, worn by years of hugging, crying, and loving the bear until the limbs fell off and were worriedly sewn back on by inexperienced hands.  "Do you think we would have been friends back then?" David asks suddenly.

 

Max turns to his boyfriend, eyebrow quirked.  "What, when we were kids?  Teenagers?  What?"  David shrugs, something stirring deep in his teal eyes.  "I don't know.  Probably not.  I was kind of an asshole".

 

"Well, don't tell anyone but I kind of was too, when I was a kid," David says in a mock whisper, grinning wide.

 

Max cackles at the thought of David being a 'bad kid' like him.  "Oh, please!  There's no fucking way!"

 

"It's true!" David laughs back, leaning on him.  Max can feel his frame shake with laughter.

 

"Ha!  Even if that were true, I don't know".  Max carefully puts Mr. Honeynuts on his bedside table, next to his unplugged alarm clock.  "But you better show me a little Dave picture from high school!"

 

David groans, but does it with a smile.  "I'll see what I can find".

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

_ “Ten bucks?!  I could fuck your mom for less!” _

 

_ A fist collided with his face, another closing around his shirt.  Knuckles cracked against his nose a second time before they stopped, panting.  “Don't talk shit about my mom, asshole,” Nurf growled hotly.  _

 

_ Max spat, and a reddish tinted spit glob smacked into the bully’s cheek.  “Then give a better price, dick splash”. _

 

_ The fist smacked against his face again, but this time he moved with it, rolling with the punch so it barely hurt.  He was dropped to the floor and left there, his ears ringing. He stilled until the footsteps were completely gone before sitting up with a grin.  He pulled his hand out of his pocket and tapped the stolen pack of camels in his fingers. “Dumbass. Don't fight when you've got shit on you”.  _

 

_ Max rushes away and grabs his bike, hidden and chained to the bushes a few feet away, and pedals quickly home, excited for the new experience to come.  He could hardly wait, rushing up the stairs to his room. The thumbs the box again, panting in his room from the exhilaration of the rush home. He’d read online about how they calmed people down; made them relax easier.  His mom was always smoking after working with her clients. Yeah, it was bad for you, but if it worked then he didn’t give a shit. _

 

_ Max glances around his room and listens carefully.  No footsteps. Good sign. Thankfully, it seemed his cover wasn’t blown.  His heart beat quick against his ribs. He wasn’t nervous about stealing, he stole all the time; even less nervous was he about being caught with a lighter.  He was more nervous about what his mother would do if she caught him with usable cigarettes, even if they weren't her brand. _

 

_ Pulling the lighter from his pocket, he holds the cigarette filter to his lips and holds the flame to the end with shaking hands.  He burns it, the cherry red smolder lighting up. He holds it in his lips a moment before cautiously inhaling… _

 

_...and breaks into coughs. _

 

_ His eyes watered.  “Shit,” he croaks, his lungs burning like someone had lit them on fire.  He winced with each cough wracking his body, pinching the cigarette in another hand away from his face.  “God, that’s fucking terrible,” he wheezes. _

 

_ “What the do you think you’re doing with that, young man?” _

_  
__  
__Max spun around, a ball of ice forming in his gut.  In his bedroom arch, his mother stood. Her eyes were narrowed and her lip curled.  Max had seen the look of utter disgust and contempt so many times he could pull the expression perfectly himself.  “M-Mom-” He looks around and almost puts the cigarette out on a paperweight on his desk, but his mother grabs his wrist in her hand harshly at the last minute._ _  
_ _  
__  
__  
__“Don’t you dare put that out, young man.  That cigarette is just fine still,” she snapped and forced it up between them so Max had to look around it to see her green eyes.  “This?” she said, waving his wrist for emphasis, “You’re going to finish this. I didn’t carry you for nine months just so you could fuck up something simple like this”._ _  
__  
__  
__“I- I can’t,” Max protested.  More, he didn't want to. He had a choice before.  He could have thrown that coffin nail out of the window at any time, but now he was trapped.  He didn't have any way out and it pressed in on him like walls._ _  
_ _  
__  
__  
___“Can't, or won't?  Hurry up and finish it so I can get back to work.  I'd rather make sure you didn't burn the house down”.

 

_ Burn the house down?  Burn the house down! _

 

_ Max threw the still burning cigarette down at his mother’s feet, making sure to miss.  It didn't stop her from startling and stepping back. “You little bastard!” she seethed, momentarily distracted as Max hopped out the second story window and grabbed the ivy gate.  He pulled himself up and tucked himself carefully under the flower planter there, just barely small enough to hide. _

 

_ “You wanted this, Max!” his mother yelled angrily from his window.  “You wanted this! I'm just giving you the reinforcement!” _

 

_ Max grabbed a handful of some white snow and stuffed it into his mouth, muffling his breathes.  He couldn’t risk her finding this spot. Otherwise, there'd be no place safe here. He listens a moment longer, shaking against the house.  Then, he hears his window slam shut, door snap closed, and footsteps walk away. He breathes a sigh of relief, muffled around the snow, and spits the ice water from his mouth.  He flexes his fingers around the ivy fence and begins his climb down. _

 

_ Pretty soon he'd be too heavy to climb down this way.  Someday, he'd sneak a ladder there and hide it in the crevice between two protruding spaces in the house. _

 

_ Hitting the ground with a huff, he goes to grab his bike before remembering he'd parked it in the garage.  He cursed himself and instead, set off on foot. Better not to risk being seen, he mused to himself. _

 

_ He made his way into town and stopped at the library.  He hid in the shadow of the entrance. No one would be coming today, it was closed on Thursdays.  He pulled a cigarette out prepared to light it, when he heard a woman’s laughter approaching. He swore and pushed the box back into his pocket and crossed his arms.  Two women, one elderly and one rather young and quite pregnant looking, were walking up to the entrance. They were both wearing knit shawls. _

 

_ They paused, noticing him.  He scowled hard at them. “Hello, there!  Did you come to join us, young man?” the elderly woman asked him, searching him with her eyes from behind round glasses.  She had dark, curly hair framing a weathered face. _

 

_ “Join what?” Max asked cautiously. _

 

_ “The Fiber Arts Society!” the younger woman chimed in, a hand on her belly.  Max always wondered why pregnant women did that. He supposes it’s just big and distracting.  “We meet here quite often”. _

 

_ Max snorts.  “Yeah, right.  There’s no fucking way I’m joining that.  That sounds boring as hell”. _

 

_ “You watch your mouth, you little punk!” the older one huffs. _

 

_ “Dorothy-” _

 

_ “Now, now, I’m fine.  But you!” Dorothy says, pointing a wrinkled finger at him.  “You’re coming in with us!” _

 

_ “What?!  What the hell, you old bat!  I didn’t fucking do anything!” he squawks, cigarettes burning a hole in his pants. _

 

_ “No, but you insulted our hobby!  You aren’t allowed to leave until you respect and appreciate exactly what we do here!  Linda, do we still have the extra size tens?” she asks the other. _

 

_ “Already on it,” Linda says, unlocking the door.  “Come on in, sweetie. You ever knit before?” _

  
  
  


* * *

 

  
  


_ Max left the library just as it was beginning to get dark, his fingers aching from the knitting.  He had to hand it to the ladies: it was difficult. Strangely though, when he finally managed to get even rows of stitches down, he began to relax; a rarity in his life.  He felt oddly proud at the evenly stitched washcloth in his hands that had been pulled apart and undone more times than possible. Anytime he’d messed up, Dorothy had pulled his needle out and tugged the yarn to undo it.  “You won’t be happy unless it’s right! You’ll just throw it out”. He snapped at her and gone back to trying the stitches in the corner, listening to the ladies chat happily and pour each other tea. _

 

_ It was a pleasant environment, and it made Max uneasy.  He wondered how long it would take for someone to snap and start swinging.  They’d been there for hours. Maybe the next meeting would be more interesting. _

 

_ The next meeting.  He’d just met them and already planned to come back. _

 

You have to return the needles, _ he excused.  Yes, that’s it.  He didn’t want them.   _

 

_ He tightened his grip on the shopping bag of spare yarn and long straight needles.   _

 

_ He didn’t need them. _

 

_ “Now you remember to come right back here next Thursday with another, alright young man?  That's your homework for this time,” Dorothy chided, mussing his hair in her hands. _

 

_ Max felt a sharp stab of alarm and slapped the hand away with a fierce frown.  “Yeah, yeah, don’t get your panties in a twist you old bitch, I got it”. She thumped him on the back of the head with a skein of yarn.  It didn’t hurt, but Max still flinched. “Hey, what the hell?!” _

 

_ She thumped him again.  “Watch your mouth! My husband talks cleaner than you, and he was a sailor you know!”  She huffs. “Well Max, I’ll be seeing you soon, okay? Be good, won’t you?” _

 

_ Max just frowned and walked to the corner and turned behind the library.  He hid until he heard each of the women’s voices halt and their cars leave.  His stomach felt like a pit. He sat on a stump, pushing the snow off and pulled his dishcloth out of the bag.  He stared at it hard.  _

 

_ The stitches were a little uneven, but hardly noticeable.  Linda told him it was better than her first. He rubbed the knit yarn between his fingers. _

 

_ He made this. _

 

_ He  _ made _ it. _

 

_ He rubbed the yarn some more.  It was cheap, obviously some kind of bargain cotton, but still felt soft.  He swallowed. He fisted the dishcloth in his hands. What was he going to do with it?  It was completely useless for him, he didn’t even  _ do  _ the dishes, and like hell was he going to let his parents find it. _

 

_ He sighs, reaches into his pocket, and pulls out the cigarette he’d been about to smoke when he met the club.  With a pit in his stomach, he lit the snubbed end, and inhaled. He coughed, eyes watering, but tried again quickly, wiping his tears in an offhand manner, ignoring them.  He wasn’t going to cry. He sucked the cancer into his lungs, and found a strange relief in the burning.  He exhaled the smoke without coughing, breathing smoother.  He stared at the blue dishcloth. He sucked the smoke into his lungs. _

 

 

* * *

 

 

Max exhaled smoke out of his lungs smoothly.

 

“You should really quit, you know,” David says behind him, lips thin.

 

Max turned and enjoyed David’s surprised yelp.  “Yeah, I know,” he says.

 

“What on earth?  Why is your face like that?!” David cries in alarm.

 

“That’s pretty rude, David.  What the hell?”

 

“I meant the face paint!” he said pointedly, his hands on his hips.

 

“It’s Halloween, David,” he spoke slowly.

 

David started.  “It is?!  It can’t be…!”  David pulled out his phone and, assumably, checked the date.  Sure enough, when Max peeked over David’s hand the phone showed the date of October 31.  “Oh, I didn’t mean to do this on Halloween!  Don’t you have any parties to go to?  Or we could go on a date if you like!”  David nervously shifted his stance, a duffle bag in one hand and a pair of dust masks in the other.

 

“Eh.  Nah.  Nikki and Nerris throw a party every year, but usually I’m off setting a fire to something anyway,” he says, tossing the butt of the cigarette into the trash.  “You ready?”

 

David hands him a mask and Max pulls it over his nose and mouth.  “Why’d you put on facepaint if you knew we were going to be wearing masks?”

 

Max shrugged.  “I don’t know, it felt like the thing to do.  We’re lighting coke on fire in the middle of the woods and it’s Halloween.  Why wouldn’t I paint my face?”

 

“That’s… fair, I suppose,” David admits, slipping his own mask on.  “Uhm, have I forgotten anything?  I feel like I’m forgetting something, maybe I should go back and check one last time-” David nervously blabbers.

 

Max catches David by the handkerchief around his neck.  “No, you’re not fucking getting out of this.  We’re burning them, we talked about this”.

 

David nervously follows behind Max to the fire pit.  “I- I know!  I know, it’s just that, well, talking about doing it and _actually_ doing it are two different things!  I’m just nervous, is all!”

 

Max sighs, tossing the opened duffle bag onto the fire pit and looked around for the firewood.  “Yeah, well, the thing about talking about doing shit, is that sometimes you have to actually do it.  You _said_ you wanted this”.

 

“I- I do!” David stuttered defensively, leaning firewood around and on the duffle bag.

 

“Then remember that,” Max snapped.  “Pick a choice, and follow through.  If you don’t see it to the end, what’s the goddamn point of making a choice in the first place?”.  He threw another piece of wood on the bag and noticed a sudden lack of movement from David.  He looked up and saw David staring at him with wide eyes.  “What?”

 

David shook his head and looked away.  Max shook his head in annoyance and splashed a bit of lighter fluid into the bag of coke.  “This is probably so bad for the environment,” David said nervously.

 

“Well, we wouldn’t have had to wear masks if we’d done it in the incinerator like I said we should,” he retorted, capping the fluid’s bottle.

 

“But what if it exploded!  We don’t know how flammable this stuff is!” David argued.

 

“Which is why I brought the lighter fluid,” he snapped back, tossing a box of matches at David, who fumbled for almost a solid minute trying to get a grasp on it.  Max snickered, amusement bubbling in his chest when his boyfriend finally got a grip on the box.  “Got it, babe?” he asked with a smug look.

 

David frowned and pointed at him but didn’t say anything.  Max snickered and stood up straight.  “Alright!” David said rolling his shoulders like he was about to enter a wrestling ring.  “I’m going to do it!”

 

“Okay,” Max said in amusement.

 

David readied the match on the box.  “Here we go!”

 

Max watched David, as he didn’t move an inch.  Sweat pooled on the man’s forehead.  “Don’t break an arm there, babe,” he says slowly.

 

He watches David shift for a moment on his feet as if lighting a match required proper stance.

 

“While we’re young, David”.

 

“I’m trying!” he protested, hand shaking but not striking the match.

 

Max ran his hand through his hair frustratedly.  “Jesus Christ, do you want me to do it?”

 

David startled away from Max, clutching the box to his chest and shaking his head violently.  “No!  I have to do this myself!”

 

“Look, if you can’t do it-”

 

“It’s not about that!” David shouts suddenly, frustratedly throwing the worn out match on the fire and pulling out a fresh one.  “If I don’t do this then that means-  It’s like he still has something over me, or something!  It’s not fair!  I _have_ to!”  David looked close to tears but still held the shaking hand with the match up to the box.

 

Max’s chest tightened.  “David-”

 

“I _have_ to, Max!  I _want_ to!”  David grimaced wide in frustration.  “But why is it so hard?”

“Look, David,” Max slowly walks close and hesitantly puts his hand on David’s warm, shaking shoulder.  “Sometimes you’ve just gotta say ‘kiss my ass’ and move the fuck on”.

 

David breaks into a startled laugh.  “Easy for you to say,” David mumbles.  “You never have trouble with anything”.

 

“What the fuck are you talking about?  I have trouble with lots of things!”

 

“But you do them anyways!” David argued.  “That’s what I’m talking about!”

 

Max growled in frustration.  “Look, it’s easier if you just don’t think about it.  Try… I don’t know, closing your eyes or something and then throwing it in.  Just… I don’t know, concentrate on the motion of it”.

 

“I… alright”.  David closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  He cracked an eye and struck the match.  It lit with a snap and with trembling hands David held it.  

 

“David-” Max began, but it seemed he didn’t need to say anything, because as soon as the name left his lips, David had dropped the match into the fire.  It blazed quickly and popped loudly as the drug was incinerated.  It snapped and flared up quickly.  David fell back into a sitting position on a log.  Max hesitantly followed suit.  David pulled his camp shirt-turned-handkerchief off from around his neck and wiped his eyes with it, sniffling.  “Do you... feel okay?” he asked quietly.

 

David nodded and stared at the ratty shirt.  “...I really didn’t mean anything to him.  Did I?” he asked quietly.

 

Max pressed his lips together.  God, he hoped he didn’t say the wrong thing.  “I don’t think so.  Probably not”.

 

David’s shoulder shook and he clenched the shirt in his hands, wringing it.  “Why’d it take me so long to figure it out?  It wasn’t like no one knew or tried to tell me Mr. Campbell was bad for me, but I just… ignored them.  I didn’t even consider it.  Why was I so certain that he had my best intentions?”

 

Max shifts in his spot.  “Look, I don’t- I’m not going to tell you how it was, because I don’t know, but I do know that you’re the type of person that really fucking hopes for the best.  This time you got taken advantage of by shitty people, but the best thing I think you can do is just move on.  You can’t keep feeling bad about it, because I'll tell you right now that it’s not going to make it any better or easier”.

 

“So, what, just get over it?  That’s your advice?” David says incredulously with a sniffle.

 

Max feels his face burn under the facepaint.  “If you didn’t want it, don’t fucking ask for it then!”

 

David gives a weak chuckle and continues to stare at the ratty yellow shirt.  Then, he balls it up and sent it into the flames with a hard throw.

 

“What the hell, David?!  You love that shirt!” Max shouted in surprise.

 

“Who cares?” David replied with shining eyes.  The crinkle at their edge made Max certain he was smiling behind the dust mask.  “What else would I keep it for?  To remind me of all the times he- he manipulated me into doing whatever awful stuff he wanted?  I’m never going to let something like that happen to me again,” said David with absolute relish.  “And I don’t need something that reminds me of it around my neck, weighing me down all the time!”

 

Max found himself nodding.  “Fuck yeah, David!  Stick it to the old bastard!  Who needs him?” he encourages, smacking him on the back, a weighty feeling of pride swelling in his heart.

 

David nodded.  “Yeah”.  Then, he nodded a second time, more certain.  “Gosh darn it, you’re right!  Who needs him?”  Then, David laughs weightless and airy.  “Happy Halloween, Max”.

 

Max snorted in amusement.  “Happy Halloween, David”.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd just like to say that I have no idea if cocaine burns or not. I did as much research as I could, but only came up with conflicting data. I guess I'm using my artistic liberties now.
> 
> Anyways, you may have noticed a chapter cap! Yup, I've got the chapters planned now! They may change a bit, but 35 is most likely going to be the cap off! 
> 
> Leave a comment and tell me what you thought!
> 
> Edit 3/9/18: New scene added. I was really uncomfortable with the other one and added a seed for a plot point here later.


	24. Bumper Cars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some days it's like that, you know?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heading back to my hometown tomorrow for a bit, so I'm getting this out now!

The second Max woke up, he knew immediately it was going to be one of those days.

 

He was awoken by David at eight in the morning at first, but refused to get out of bed; his body was too comfortable, curled under his comforter and soft with sleep.  He was woken a second time about three hours later, David shaking his shoulder.  “Come on Max!  You’ve slept half the day away!  It’s not healthy to sleep so much!” he hears his boyfriend chide.

 

Max curled tighter into the covers, his head slowly clearing of the tired haze and settled into a different kind of tired.  His entire body felt like it was filled with heavy sand, and his brain felt like how graham crackers taste.  Max groaned and opened his eyes, staring past David’s face to the ceiling of the cabin.  God, just breathing was a chore that took too much energy.

 

David pulled his comforter off of him in an attempt to rouse him.  “Come on!  I made pancakes!” David tempted with a singsong voice.  Max felt a tiny flash of anger beneath the heavy feeling.  “Are you getting sick or just being lazy?” questioned David, clearly worried.

 

Max blinked wordlessly.   _Come on, hurry up and get up.  You’re worrying your loving, supportive boyfriend.  How are you being such a massive asshole by doing absolutely nothing?_ Max pushed himself up with a heavy amount of effort.  He didn’t bother to straighten his hair, leaving it in the uncomfortable mess it was.  “Max?” David asked a second time, still upset.

 

“M’okay,” he mumbled, his voice cracking.  He blinked slowly for a moment, not really focusing on anything in the cabin.  Everything felt like it was in his periphery, even if it was right in front of him.

 

_ You asshole.  You’re worrying David. _  Max pushed himself up and walked to the bathroom, ignoring David, who quickly made Max’s bed.  He felt a pang of guilt and irritation at himself.  Max gritted his teeth and closed the door to head to the bathroom.  After staring at his face in the mirror for almost five minutes trying to will himself to actually move.   _ Damn, I look like shit. _

 

“Max?” David asks through the door with a knock.  “I’ll be in the mess hall… okay?  Just come when you’re ready”.  David pauses by the door, but when Max doesn’t respond, he walks slowly away.  Max hears the door close on his boyfriend’s way out of the cabin.

 

_ Ugh, I can’t even think about food right now.   _ His head spun a bit like a race car burning out.  Max grimaced though he barely saw it in the mirror, staring past the look.  He forced his eyes to focus on his face.  His eyes had more baggage than a middle-aged woman going through a divorce.  His face only got stonier when he looked down at his stomach, almost hidden beneath the shirt he was wearing.  It had ridden up a bit, exposing a small amount of fat; an effect of the consistent mealtime schedule over the summer.  He frowned and pulled his shirt up a moment to inspect it.  Yep.  He definitely had gotten a bit of a muffin top.  Shame started to creep in, Max’s temper spiking with it.  He pushed his shirt down over his sweatpants.  Max pulled his weight up and his elbows off the sink, and managed to force himself to brush his teeth.  He couldn’t find it in him to manage to change his clothes or brush his hair though and pushed his way out of the cabin clumsily.

 

He walked slowly to the mess hall, each step heavy and stumbling.  David greeted him as soon as he walked in almost immediately with an encouraging smile.  “Hey!  I made pancakes!” he says.  Max feels his gut twist with guilt at the sight of David’s smiling face.   _ God, he’s so pretty.  You’re going to kill him someday, you know that right?  You’re dragging him down.  I doubt he even really wants you here. _

 

Max swallowed.  “I’m not really hungry David,” he mumbles, watching David’s formerly excited and encouraging smile fall to a concerned frown.  Pretty blue-green eyes stared into his own, which avoided the gaze.  His stomach churns, unsettled and needing food.  He doesn’t want to eat.  “Sorry,” he mumbles, guilt like a baseball bat to the gut.

 

“That’s okay!” David assures though Max can tell he’s a little upset.  “We can just put them away for dinner!  Don’t even worry!”  David hurriedly starts to put the pancakes away, stuffing them into plasticware containers.  “We’re out of eggs now, so maybe I’ll go get some soon.  Want to come along?” David asks looking at him expectantly.

 

Max shifted uncomfortably.  He really didn’t want to go somewhere, especially not when he was like  _ this.  _  If Max went with David, he’d have to change his clothes, brush his hair, clean up, and pretend to be his usual aloof-asshole self; but if Max sent David to the store alone, he might feel bad, or like he’s got to do everything himself or something.  God, he almost misses the good old days when he didn’t have an incredibly loving and selfless boyfriend and could just call in sick, stay in bed all day, and cry in the shower so he’d be able to tell himself it was just shower-water and not self-loathing.

 

David taps his foot and snaps Max out of his thoughts.  “Come on sweetie, what do you say?  It’ll be fun!”

 

Keyword being: almost.

 

Max curls his lip.  David huffs in amusement.  “Not a fan?  Alright.  I’ll find a pet name you like someday!” David teased, winking.  

 

Max shook his head, before getting back to the topic at hand.  “Uh, I don’t know, David.  I’m not feeling so good”.  Max winces at the weak excuse.

 

“Yes, I’ve noticed,” David replies, distress clear on his face.  Max winces.   _ That’s because of you, asshole.  Get your shit together. _  He winces when the back of David’s hand brushes his forehead.  He lowers his gaze quickly, trying to keep some semblance of detachment in the close quarters.  “Hm, well, you don’t have a fever…”

 

“Yeah, no, I’m just… tired.  Just really fucking tired”.  Max can feel the truth and the lie in it, deep in his bones.  He’s tired, without a doubt.  Just not the tired that comes with staying up late and not getting enough sleep.

 

This is the kind of tired that makes you stay in bed until five in the afternoon.  “I just think getting out of the house for a bit would be good for you,” David carries on.  This is the kind of tired that gets in your head and makes you think far more than is good for you.  “I know how much you don’t like going to town, so we can go to that really cool one in the town over, okay?  How’s that sound?”

 

Max swallows.  He should put on pants.   _ Real  _ pants, not the flannel pajama bottoms he has on.  And change his shirt.  “Fine, but I’m not putting any fucking pants on,” he snaps, the tone flat and empty.

 

David smiles a little but the concern is still plain.  “That’s fine.  If you aren’t feeling well, you should be comfortable.  Are you sure you don’t want to eat before we go?” David asked with a small frown.

 

Max nodded wordlessly and shoved his hands into his hoodie pocket.  David nudged him back to the cabin and pulled out their coats.  David frowned at Max’s old, worn out coat with a hole in the side.  “You should really get a new coat, Max,” David chided.  “If you want, we can pick one up from the store?  I bet they sell them”.

 

Max frowned.  Today was not a good day to make decisions.  Today was the day to lay in bed and feel bad about taking up space while ignoring your organs.  “I’m not really in the mood, David”.

 

David nods sympathetically.  “I know, but winter is almost here!  You need a coat before it gets snowy!  You’re lucky we haven’t had any as it is”.  David pushed him out the door and to the car, Max fumbling to pull his coat on.  “It’s probably all this dang global warming.  Gosh, it really worries me how mild the winters are getting here.  Last year, we hardly had any snow, and this year it hasn’t snowed yet at all!  It’s already November!”  David frowned looking at Max’s unbuckled seat.  “Max, buckle up.  It’s the law, you know!”

 

Max felt his temper spike weakly.  Wordlessly, he slowly dragged the clip to the buckle and pushed the seat to lean it back.  He sighed.  He should just give up talking, really.

 

David paused.  “Wow.  You must be feeling pretty bad!  You didn’t even tell me something sassy and ultimately nihilistic!  Are you sure you’re up to this?  You can just stay if you really want…” David trails off.

 

Max sighs tiredly as second time.  “I’m already in the car, David.  It’d be more work to get me out of it now”.

 

“Okay!  I was just checking…” David mumbles.  

 

The car starts, and they begin down the road.  Max doesn’t recognize the tape David puts in, nor the soft folk music that pours from the old, crackling speakers of the camp car.  Max dozed most of the way, what energy he didn’t have depleted from getting ready and into the car.  David’s voice sings along melodically, and if Max hadn’t heard it before, he would have assumed it was a dream when he woke in the middle of the car ride.  Max kept his eyes closed and listened a while longer.  

 

David’s voice was kind of nice when he wasn’t singing that terrible song he wrote about the camp or other trail songs that had been hammered into Max’s memory from the million times David had sung them.  There was a slight southern ring in David’s singing voice that wasn’t quite as present when he spoke.  Max turned his head and looked up at David driving through half-lidded eyes.  The sun was shining, and David smiled while he sang.  He wondered if they were almost there.  David glanced down at Max and did a double-take, clearly expecting him to be asleep.  David’s cheeks reddened.  “Ah!  Did I wake you up?  I’m sorry, Max, I didn’t mean to.  I was trying to be quiet…” he says, trailing off.

 

Max pushes the chair back up.  “It’s fine,” he mumbles.  “I like your voice”.

 

David glances at him while Max rubs his eyes.  “Really?  You don’t usually like it when I sing”.

 

“That’s because I don’t like hearing shitty camp songs at seven in the morning,” he growls.  "Your voice is pretty otherwise".

 

They pull into a parking spot and David quickly unbuckles, staring at Max who hasn’t moved.  “You ready?” he asks pointedly.

 

_ Not really.  Tell him you’ll wait in the car, you can sleep some more. _  Max sighed and pushed his limbs into moving.  He unbuckled himself, breathed deep, and pulled himself out of the car.  He sluggishly rushed to keep up with David’s peppy steps.  Just outside, David grabs a cart.  He pauses for a moment as if deliberating.  He nods to himself and pushes the cart back into its former row before pulling out one of the larger ones.  “Come on, get in,” David prompts, nodding to the inside of the cart.

 

Max looks down at the slightly rusted cart.   _ He's not fucking serious, is he? _  “David, I am a twenty-four-year-old man”.

 

“Well, I’m not asking you to sit in the toddler seat,” David shoots back, folding said seat inwards with an eyebrow quirked up.  Despite himself, Max scoffs, a small smile flitting across his face.  David’s eyes sparked triumphantly.  “Come on.  Just get in.  It’ll be fun, I promise!”  Max frowned.  “You won’t have to walk,” David coaxed in a sing-song voice.

 

Max sighs.  “Alright, hold it steady,” he grumbles.   _ Wow, are you really going to make your boyfriend push your fat ass around?  Come on bitch, you could stand to walk a few pounds off. _  Max grits his teeth and forces himself in.  He doubted David  _ actually _ wanted to push him around, but he wasn't about to beg him to let him walk.

 

As soon as Max was secure in the cart with his legs dangling out, he started to push the cart.  “Ha, this brings back memories!” David says, grabbing some fruit off a stand.  “My mom used to do that for me when I was little.  She had to stop when I got older though”.

 

Max hummed, too tired to respond, but stows the information away.  He wonders what David’s home was like?  David’s mom.  He knew his dad wasn't in the picture anymore.  He shivers.  If she pushed him around in a grocery cart, she must have been much better than his own mother.  “I actually wanted to bring that up, Max,” David begins, still pushing Max about.  Max hums an inquisitive noise in acknowledgment.  “What would you say… if I asked you to come to my mom’s with me for Thanksgiving?” David prompted with thinly veiled eagerness.

 

Max grimaced.  Damn.  He hadn't actually thought of that.  Nor had he considered David actually  _ wanting  _ Max with him around his family.  “I'm not really the ‘take-home-to-your-mom-type’, David,” Max says with a frown.  “I'm more the type you fuck in a gas station bathroom, then try to forget about”.

 

David sighs.  “Max, as interesting and worrying as your self-deprecating jokes are, I’d really love it if you came to Thanksgiving with me”.

 

Max sighs, leaning his head back and over the side of the cart uncomfortably.  His head smacks against a stand of cracker boxes, and David apologizes to them (both Max and hilariously enough, the crackers) and started restacking the boxes.  Max frowns but otherwise doesn't emote at the slight pain.  “Can't.  I have plans.  It's Fucksgiving”.

 

David drops the cracker boxes back onto the floor.  “It's  _ what?! _ ”

 

Max snorts in amusement as David scrambles for the boxes again.  “Every year since high school, me, Nikki, and Neil would all get out of each our family Thanksgiving parties by saying we were going with each other to their family party.  Then we’d all meet up in the woods and wait for our parents to leave, and then head back to one of our houses and hang out there”.  Max shrugs.  “We drank, played games, smoked weed, you know.  Normal teenager bullshit.  From there it just kind of became a thing.  Started bringing food, and it just sort of grew into a tradition of avoiding our shitty families”.

 

“That's… actually quite sweet,” David admits, finishing restocking the boxes.  Max shakes his head and gives a huff of disbelief.  “I'm serious!” David protests.  “It's nice that you were able to spend time with the people you really cared about, making your own Thanksgiving memories!”

 

Max frowns.  “It sounds fucking dumb when you put it like that”.

 

David chuckles.  “Well, I really would like for you to come…” he trails off.

 

Max sighs, guilt gnawing hard at his stomach.   _ You're really going to make your boyfriend go to a Thanksgiving party all alone?  He's probably got asshole bigoted relatives he's going to have to put up with without you now.  Good going.   _ His thoughts are cut off when David builds up to a jog and hops onto the cart with both feet on the cart’s bottom shelf.  His boyfriend lets out a squeal of amusement, giggling as they roll down the frozen foods aisle.

 

“Well,” David began, still giggling, “Give it some thought.  You don’t have to make a decision right now”.

 

Max nods and then continues to stare into space, feeling the tiredness settle deep into his bones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Tell me what you think in the comments! <3


	25. Dead Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The steaks are high.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TEN CHAPTERS LEFT! AND I'M TIPSY!

David startles when Max comes through the door.  “Oh!  Back from Nikki’s already?” he asks, hearing the rumble of a car leave down the path.  Max stumbles slightly before almost falling onto the bar stool.

 

“Hey, Dave,” Max slurs.  “Sorry I’m so fuckin’ late.  Nerris dropped me off.  I didn’t mean to make you stay up so damn late”.

 

David frowns at him.  “Have you been drinking?”  David seems to wince with Max at his own tone.

 

“I didn’t mean to get so fucking smashed,” Max says, almost sulking.

 

“It’s fine!  I don’t mind!  Here, why don’t I fix you up something to eat so you don’t get a hangover?”  David walks into the kitchen paws through the fridge.  Has he even eaten yet?  His stomach growls.  No.  No, he has not.  He should really fix that.  “Here, we can have these,” he says, pulling the two steaks out of the refrigerator.

 

Max groans in his seat.  “Dave, you-”

 

“Davey”.

 

Max blinks.  “What?”

 

David stares Max full in the face and his spine straightens definitively.  “I don’t like Dave.  It’s… call me Davey, okay?”  He swallows, Max’s face unreadable.

 

Max finds himself grinning sharply and watches David freeze.  “Alright,  _ Davey”.   _ David shivers and shirks slightly from the straight-backed stance he held.  He returns Max’s grin with a sheepish smile of his own.  “Is that a childhood nickname or something?”

 

David runs his fingers through his hair and sets about grabbing the ingredients.  “I guess that’s what you’d call it”.

 

“Well,” Max smirks with a glint in his eye, “Davey.  You don’t have to make the steaks right now just because I’m drunk as shit.  I know you wanted to set up something nice for those”.  Max frowned suddenly.  “Dammit,” he mumbles.  “Fucking ruined shit all over again”.

 

“No, no, it’s okay!” David soothes, looking almost amused.  “It’s fine!  I really don’t mind”.

 

Max frowns.  “Yeah, whatever,” he mumbles.  Between his slurs, the slight accent he has becomes a bit more noticeable with some syllables.  David smiles and rubs the spice mix into the steaks, the asparagus already cooking.  “How is this supposed to help me not have a hangover?” he asks, pulling the cap off a bottle and pouring all the toothpicks inside onto the counter.  David sighs.  Max vows drunkenly not to clean them up, and pettily flicks some onto the linoleum of the kitchen floor.

 

“I don’t know.  It just does”.  David drops a pad of butter into the pan and watches it sizzle.  “Something, something, protein breaks up sugars?”

 

“How do you know it does, though?” Max asks from his seat, trying to get the electric kettle to work.  He could really go for some hot chocolate after the cold from outside.  “I thought you didn’t drink or something, Mr. Straight-Edge?”

 

“I don’t,” David admits after a moment of silence.  He frowns and turns his side away from Max so he wouldn’t see.  “After my dad left, Mom went out to the bar a lot, sometimes on work days and left me alone at home.  I got really upset seeing her so out of sorts the morning after and looked around trying to find something she could eat that would make her feel better.  Steaks were on sale a lot where we lived, so… yeah.  Mornings were easier for her when I made them, and… yeah," David finishes stuttering with an unknown emotion.

 

Max sighs and pours hot water into a cup, stirring.  Guilt creeps further into his bones.  “How young were you?”

 

David shakes his head, flipping the steaks.  “I don’t know… young.  Too young to be using the stove unsupervised, I think.  Maybe ten or eleven?”

 

“Jesus that sucks.  I’m sorry, baby, I didn’t mean for you to fuckin’ take care of me or anything.  We can just- ugh, I don’t know-” Max pulls at his hoodie anxiously.  “I’m sorry”.

 

David gives him an alarmed look before grinning with reassurance.  “I told you, it's fine!  Trust me, you’re much easier to take care of”.  He pokes Max’s cheek and he wrinkles his nose in response.  “Much cuter too”.

 

“God, you’re such a fucking cheesy ass white boy,” Max snarks, pushing the finger off his cheek with a wince.

 

David’s eye traces the movement.  “Why do you do that?”  He pulls the asparagus out of the oven and plates them quickly.

 

A small alarm bell rings in Max’s head.  “Do what?” he asks, eyeing the steak with thinly hidden interest.

 

David swallows and pulls a stool over to sit across from Max, who’s already grabbed his plate and begun to eat.  “You flinch.  When I touch you”.

 

Max pauses and flicks his eyes to David’s, his amused expression snapping closed of any emotion in moments.  “Yeah.  Yeah I do, don’t I?” he says stonily tearing a large bite off his steak and popping it into his mouth.  Max found himself almost melting at the flavor.

 

David swallows.  “You know you can tell me anything, right?”  His heart twists in his chest.  “Are you… okay?  If you want me to stop, I can”.

 

Max feels fear stab through his chest so suddenly and unexpectedly, he almost gasps.  “No!  No, I-  I like it when you touch me”.  He shifts in his seat uncomfortably.  His words slur more with his mumbles, and David seems to strain to hear.  “I’m just not fucking used to it is all”.  God, he’s so fucking embarrassed.  How the hell do you explain to your boyfriend that you weren’t used to touching because no one ever had?  Because no one ever wanted to?

 

David tilts his head, brows furrowing in confusion.  “Not used to… what?  Being in a relationship?”

 

“Not used to touching,” Max slurred, irritation spiking at the misunderstanding.

 

David looked as though a rib had cracked.  “What are you talking about?  You’ve touched other people before, haven’t you?  What about your parents?”

 

Max laughed mirthlessly and wiped a hand down his face, dotted with sweat.  “Oh please.  You didn’t know them.  I’d say I was raised by reptiles, but I’m pretty damn sure even snakes have some sort of fuckin’ nesting ties or something”.  He shook his head.  “Fuck, man.  I can’t remember my mom ever holding me as a kid.  I mean, I know she or my dad has to have held me at some point, like when I was a baby, but I really can’t remember it…  Shit, I don’t even know why I’m telling you, it’s not like it matters now”.  He leaned back on the back of the barstool, bitterness stoked like flames in him.  The ice in his face sent shivers down David’s spine  “You’re lucky I’m so goddamn drunk right now.  You’d never get this out of me sober, I fuckin’ tell you what”.

 

David looked to be at a loss.  “But… What about your dad?”

 

Max shook his head.  “Couldn’t give less of a shit,” he said.  “Damn bastard barely knew I existed.  At least he never made it clear he fucking hated me like she did”.  

 

“But,” David’s face morphed into something terrified.  “Who fixed up your scraped knees, or hugged you, or told you everything was going to be okay when things got bad?”

 

Max shrugged.  “No one.  I took care of myself”.  David continued to give him an absolutely appalled look.  “Hey, Jesus, come on.  Quit fuckin’ looking at me like that, I’m fine now, aren’t I?”  Max huffs.  “Stupid bastards.  They made goddamn sure I knew they hated me too”.  He clenched his hand around the fork in his hand and glared at his empty plate, a familiar bitterness aching in him like an old wound that never healed quite right.

 

David shifted uncomfortably in front of him.  “I’m… sure that’s not true…” he says awkwardly.

 

Max has heard that sentence a thousand times before, from a thousand different people.  It doesn’t usually invoke the heavy anger it once did, but he’s had a few too many, and David is horribly close to him.

 

And so Max snaps back, stabbing into his steak with anger, “Oh no, they absolutely fucking did!  There’s not a single doubt in my mind that they both fucking loathed me.  I’m not going to get into it, but I had to learn everything my fucking self.  I took care of myself, and that was that”.  Max feels the venom welling on his tongue.  He can’t even see David’s face, he’s so furious.  God, he shouldn’t even be telling him this.  Who wants to listen to another sob story about how ‘Mommy and Daddy never loved me’?  Talk about over-played.  Talk about being cliche.  “I don’t think I ever come away with the idea now that they were just the ‘tough love’ type, or that they were just ‘encouraging independence’ like I used to try to tell myself.  I just feel like I was raised by two animals that barely tolerated each other, let alone me”.

 

David reaches a hand out his hand and wraps it around his own.  He gently prys the knife from his hands.  “Max…” David breathes, his voice barely a whisper.

 

Max sneers at the table.  "Everybody else looked at them and saw how successful and smart they both were, and saw I was so independent, so they  _must_ have been  _so_ good as parents," he growls to himself.  "Looked at us and saw intellect and thought it for something nicer, but there was never anything there.  Just some empty fucking house with empty fucking people in it that didn't even feel fucking  _real_ ," he slurs.   David’s hand is too warm.  He fists his hand under it.  “The part that pisses me off the most is that I never even got to tell them how much I hate them too.  They went and got hit by a drunk fucking driver before I could spill.  I never got to pull up with Nikki and Neil and go ‘Fuck you!  I’ve got people that give a shit about me!  And I’m never coming back here because you’re both shitty, miserable people and you both deserve each other, and deserve to get splattered all over the road, and I'm burning the couch too because who the fuck needs tradition and shit when you've got what you really want?!’”  He huffs to himself, rambling on.  “I mean, I told them, but I always felt like they thought I was just going through some fucking rebellious phase and was going to grow out of it one day, and come back and that it was all my fault for being ‘sensitive’ or whatever about them being shitty”.

 

“I’m sure they knew how you felt, Max,” David says, as if unsure what to say.  Max recognizes the expression for what it is: slightly confused but attempting to reach out and be supportive.  "If you told them, and even if they didn't believe you then, I like to think they... they knew when  _it_ happened.  I'm sure it was their last thought".

 

Max feels an oddly wistful flame burn in the back of his throat.  “You think so?”

 

David nods.  “Yeah, I think so”.  David finishes up his plate and takes Max’s empty one with his.  He puts them in the sink and pauses.  “I-  So when I touch you…”

 

Max’s mouth runs dry.  He takes a drink of his hot cocoa to distract himself.  He’s beginning to feel a bit more level-headed.  “Yeah?”

 

“Is it okay?” David asks.  “Do you… mind?  Does it bother you?”  David does the dishes busily, twitching nervously.

 

Max swallows.  “It’s… fine”.

 

“If you want me to stop, I’ll stop.  You don’t have to spare my feelings, Max,” David responds stiffly.

 

Max rolls his eyes.  “You know damn well I don’t give a shit.  I just meant that I’m not… used to it.  Like I said”.

 

David huffed.  “Well-” David grumbles a moment and sighs.  “I just want to make sure you’re comfortable.  Sometimes it’s just kind of hard to know what you’re thinking”.

 

Max finds himself nodding.  He scoffs quietly.  “Yeah,” he says turning his head away.  He counts the toothpicks he pushed onto the floor.  

 

David stares at him a moment.  “I know that this is kind of- well, awkward and you aren’t really the type to share at the best of times-”

 

“David-” Max sighs, tone similar to that of a complaining child.

 

“-But I need you to know that you can trust me with these things, Max,” David finishes resolutely, flipping the towel he was using to wipe the counters over his shoulder.  It’s kind of a silly thing that Max has only seen people in reality shows do, but it suits his boyfriend.  David’s ridiculous like that, and god help him, he adores it.  “I know you don’t like talking about things that affect and bother you in the present, but I really would like you to.  At least attempt to?”

 

Max sighs.  “Jesus, David-”

 

“I just want you to trust me,” David admits morosely.  “It’s just kind of unnerving when I- when I tell you anything you ask about, but you avoid the subject when I try to do the same”.

 

“Hey, don’t pin that on me,” Max snaps.  “That is no way my fault that my life was shitty and that I don’t like talking about it”.

 

“You know that’s not what I mean, I’m talking about  _ here. _  In the  _ now _ ”.  David waves his hand in a gesture to the room.  “I just want you to know that it’s okay not to be okay sometimes, and I don’t want you to feel like you need to hide that from me.  We're in this together now.  You always help me when I need you and I just want you to know that you can trust me to do the same,” David says earnestly.  His wide doe eyes are really pulling at his heartstrings at the moment.  God, how did he ever say no to that in the past?

 

Max runs his hand through his damp hair.  “I know, I know.  Well, I kinda don't know too.  I’m just used to dealing with shit on my own.  I kinda forget that I have a super fucking adorable boyfriend who makes me steaks so I don’t get hungover”.  He flicks a toothpick at him and it bounces off David’s chest.

 

David chuckles.  “Alright, alright.  Come on,” David says, cleaning up the rest of the toothpicks.  “Let’s hurry up and get to bed”.

 

“Yeah, yeah, you old man.  I swear you’re such an old bastard at heart.  It’s only one AM”.

 

“I’m tired, Max!  It’s late”.  David chides him playfully.  “Besides, you need rest!”

 

Max sighs, letting David pull him to his feet.  “Yeah, yeah”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter has that sweet maxvid smut my dudes get ready because here it fuckin comes


	26. David In The Bathroom (At A Party)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Fucksgiving my dudes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick warning i guess for nsfw in this chapter but tbh i'm pretty sure you've all been dying for it like i have.

“I still can’t believe you didn’t want to come with me afterward,” David says, sounding just a bit haughty.

 

“David, we made this thing up so we could get away from family gatherings.  How am I going to tell them I’m leaving early to go  _ to _ one?” Max replies in amusement, watching David pull himself out of the camp car.  They’d driven separately, seeing as David wanted to get to his mom’s before dark and Max wanted to stay for quite a while.  David’s soft sweater vest sparks a little static against him.  He looks every bit as ridiculous as he’d pictured when he’d first saw the blue and grey diamond patterned thing when David pulled it from the closet, and yet, strangely endearing.  Like a small dog in one of those puppy sweaters.  Max, on the other hand, looks like he’d just rolled out of bed just a few hours ago and put on a hoodie (he had).

 

“I know, I know,” David grumbles, slipping his arm around Max’s hip.  He shivers slightly and leans in.  “I just kinda hoped you would come with me after”.

 

“Another time,” Max promises, elbowing him fondly.

 

“Christmas?” David asks, perking up with a hopeful smile.

 

Max shrugs and without thinking says, “Sure, why not?  I’ve got nowhere else to be.  I mean, Nikki and Nerris usually throw a Christmas bash, but I usually skip just because I was always around Neil and neither of us gave a shit about Christmas”.  He wonders idly what Neil and Nikki are doing this year for the holiday.  Nikki will probably go out and strangle a goose and Nerris will sigh and buy take out again.

 

“Did you ever celebrate as a kid?” David asks curiously as he knocks on the door.

 

Max brushes him off and pushes his way inside unceremoniously, ignoring David’s upset whine.  “Nah, never.  It’s a religious holiday, you know?  I never celebrated any holidays as a kid, not even Halloween or- really this, actually.  My parents just used it as an excuse to network”.

 

David grins widely.  “So… this will be your first Christmas!  With me!”

 

“Not really my-  Ugh, sure, fine.  It’s my first Christmas, let’s go with that”.  He doubts that spending the Christmas afternoon with Nikki and Neil getting eggnog counted as a Christmas, never mind watching shitty Christmas movies and eating latkes with Neil at 2 AM.

 

They’re cut off from their conversation by Nikki bounding up happily to both of them, giving each a fond (but hard) punch on the shoulder.  “Hey, jerks!  Look who finally decided to show!”

 

“Yeah, sorry.  David had to shave his legs,” Max says with a sharp grin, Nikki laughing at David’s indignant squawk.

 

“Yeah well, you ladies come on in!  Everybody’s set up in the living room!”  Nikki pushed them into the said room, and then immediately sped off to another with the boundless excitement of a puppy with a new toy.

 

Max noticed Neil was relaxing on his favorite chair by the fireplace that had actually been lit.  Neil gave him a nod and then jut his chin out to the back door.  Max turned curiously and found two familiar faces to his surprise.  “Holy shit, why’re they here?” he asks loudly.  He moves to the side table loaded with snacks and alcohol and grabs himself a beer can.

 

“Who?” asks David from behind him.

 

“Nurf says his mom’s boyfriend and them don’t get along too well, and he wanted to avoid the argument.  Used us as an excuse, I guess”.

 

Max tosses a beer to Neil.  “I’ll give a ‘Fuck That’ to that!” he says, tapping his can to his long-time friend’s in a mocking cheer.  He walks over to the door where Billy sits on the loveseat, Nurf just out the door.  “Hey asshole, long time no see!” he says with a grin.  “I guess that explains the fireplace.  Was that you, Billy?”

 

Billy pulls himself up and taps his beer to Max’s in greeting.  “It’s still Snake, Max.  It’s been a while,” he rasps.  His face is stern and solemn as it’s always been, but Max recognizes the spark of familiar companionship they had.  

 

“Damn, that actually stuck?”

 

“Yeah.  It’s good to see you.  I heard about your parents”.

 

Max shrugs.  “Yeah, it happens”.

 

Billy quirks a brow.  “No remorse?”

 

Max shakes his head.  “Only that it couldn’t have been bloodier”.

 

Billy nods his head with a grunt and leans against the wall.  “Nurf’s outside, smoking”.

 

Max makes a noise of acknowledgment and nods.  They sit in companionable silence for a few moments, watching a football game neither of them cares about.  Max really appreciates this about Snake.  Neither of them asks any more than what they offer, and what is, is taken at face value.  He’s never had to worry about mind games with Billy.  Max watches Neil and David talk cheerfully to each other.  Well, David was cheerful.  Neil held himself curious and calm as usual.

 

The door opens and Max finds a large hand clapped to his shoulder.  “Hey, shrimp.  How’ve you been?” Nurf says with a small smile.

 

“Hey, dickbag.  Heard your mom got a new boyfriend?” he greets, tapping his beer to the other's.

 

Nurf grimaces and nods.  “Yeah.  Just kind of an ass.  I don’t really get along, and I don’t want the cops at the house so soon after mom’s been paroled”.

 

“Yeah, I get you,” he says with a nod.  Max’s eyes connected with David’s from the couch.  “Hey, Davey!  Come here, I want you to meet these guys!” he says with a wave.

 

David smiles, walking speedily over to Max’s waiting arm, which slung itself over his shoulder.  “Hello, it’s so nice to meet you!” he said with a grin, shaking each of their hands.  “I’m David, Max’s boyfriend”.

 

Nurf nodded.  “You too”.

 

“David, this is Nurf and Snake”.  Max pointed to each, Billy raising his beer with a nod at his name.  “We go way back”.

 

“Oh, really?” David smiled, handing Max his beer and bringing the now free hand to hold Max’s and lace their fingers together.  Max feels his stomach flip and hides it in a sip of alcohol.  “How long have you all known each other?”

 

“Max and I know each other from high school,” Nurf replied, stirring the ice around in his solo cup.  “I founded the LGBT Support Club and needed new members.  Max got forced into joining because he kept pulling the fire alarm”.

 

Max guffawed.  “Yeah and all the other clubs were bullshit.  Like hell was I doing another year of theater with Preston just to get out of a suspension”.  He chuckles again.  “God, that  _ was  _ me, wasn’t it?  Damn, I used to be so much fun,” Max trailed off.  Principal Wells had been so fucking mad.  God, he hated that place.

 

David gives a quivering smile.  “O-oh… and you, Snake?” he asks hesitantly, as if afraid of the answer as he took a sip of soda.

 

“We blew each other a few times after school,” the man replied, face nonchalant.

 

David coughed into his drink, choking a bit.  Max laughed, whacking the man on the back.  “Easy, David!”

 

“I’m sorry?!” squeaked David, wiping his mouth with a napkin he’s pulled from the snack table.

 

Billy’s lips twitched up at the corner.  “Heh.  Yeah.  I don’t think we ever got caught, did we?” he muses.

 

Max thinks hard, frowning.  “No, we didn’t.  The closest it ever got was at the football game, I think?”

 

“I had bruises on my hips from that,” Billy muses with a snort.  “I hope you know I got scarred for life”.

 

He grins back with a cackle.  “Ha!  Good!  You needed something to scare you back then; you were just running around in the woods all the time!  I swear you thought you were Bear fucking Grylls”.

 

David pressed closer to Max’s side, and his heart goes funny a moment.  “Oh?  Were you interested in wilderness survival?” he asks, expression odd.  Max frowns at the strange tone and look.  "I run a summer camp, you know.  I teach every activity there, so I'd say I know quite a bit myself!"

 

“Yeah, I’m a Woodscout Alumni,” Snake offers, eyes staring intensely into David's, and David turning it right back with a different kind.  Snake always had a serious and intense expression on his face, even when he wasn’t thinking of anything at all, but David’s intense eyes were something else entirely.

 

Max makes an attempt to divert their attention to Nurf, asking a bit more about how they’ve been, and hopes the mood will straighten itself out.  He's not really in the mood to deal with whatever bullshit the two of them are coaxing into existence.  However, in the middle of a story Billy began to tell about some woman that had come to him for service at his survivalist shop, David pulls out his phone, looks down, and gives a slight frown.

 

“I’m sorry, but could I borrow Max for a moment?” David asks a touch too sweetly, hand tight around Max’s bicep, a paragon of polite submissiveness.

 

Max blinks.  “Yeah, no problem, dude,” Snake replies evenly.

 

“Thank you,” his boyfriend says with a firm tug, dragging him away to the bathroom.  Max slams back his beer quickly and drops it on a side table as they pass it.

 

“What’s up?” Max asks curiously, closing and locking the bathroom door.  He startles when he’s suddenly pushed to the back of the bathroom door by David, who presses a harsh kiss to his mouth.  David breathes harshly against his lips, pressing his chapped ones to Max’s.  A hand pushes it’s way feverishly up Max’s shirt, the skin of his boyfriend’s palm pressed to Max’s stomach, lighting a fire in the blood vessels there.

 

“Ah!  Fuck, David, what the hell’s gotten into you?” he growls quietly and scrambles to turn on the fan as a precaution.  He unwittingly finds himself tilting his head back and allowing David to suck at the tender skin, biting a bit too hard.  Max lets out a sharp grunt.  “Jesus, calm down, Davey”.

 

David hums and pushes at Max’s shoulders firmly, the only sign he heard Max was the fact he eased up a bit, though he moved no slower.  David begins to pant harshly and to Max’s complete surprise, falls to his knees in front of him.

 

“Wh- David, really?  Here?” Max asks with breathless astonishment.  He hadn’t given any implications that he’d like to move further, and although Max occasionally pressed the boundaries to see how far he could push David, his partner had always pulled away when things started going too far for the redhead's tastes.  It was a bit disappointing, but Max was happy enough just taking the small touches that were given.

 

David falls to his knees and Max feels himself twitch in his pants.  David gives him a strangely upset look.  “What, do you want me to stop?”

 

Max can only stare down and shake his head quickly.  “I didn’t say that!” he hisses, trying not to draw attention.  “I just meant-  We haven’t!  You haven’t-”   _ You haven’t wanted to move further, and I’m too fucking scared to move things along because you might stop touching me altogether if I do something wrong and I don’t think I could handle that. _

 

“Then be quiet,” David sasses and begins to unbuckle Max’s belt, letting it fall to the sides of the belt loops.  He smooths his hands up Max’s sides, Max wincing when he remembers the weight he’d accumulated over the past few months.  He tilts his head back, feeling a bit sick.  David probably didn’t want to see that, never mind feel it.  He-

 

“You’re so gorgeous,” David whispers against his navel, kissing the patch of hair there.  “I love you so much”.

 

Max shakes under the words and gasps, David’s warm hands feeling more scalding against his skin than ever.  His fingers press harshly against the cool wood of the door.  God, if David’s hands felt like this, what was his  _ mouth  _ going to be like?  “David- David I don’t have any condoms-” he sputters.

 

David looks up at him, fingers teasing the elastic band of his boxers.  “Are you clean?” he asks, showing a small amount of caution for the first time.

 

“Well, yeah-”

 

“So am I,” David replies impatiently.  “And unless you tell me right now you don’t want me to- to do this, then I’m not going to stop.  Is that okay?” he says, tone firm and unmoving.  Max’s breath catches in his throat looking down at David, who tilts his head just to the right enough to rub his cheek on Max’s thigh adoringly.  Max nods quickly, the warmth of David’s cheek searing a brand into his thigh.  “I’ve never-  You’ll have to tell me what to do,” David stutters, anxiety catching up with whatever had brought on the burst of aggressive determination he’d had.

 

“Yeah, that’s-  Yeah,” Max says, voice almost cracking in the whisper.  

 

David nods hesitantly and bit his lip in apprehension, fingering at Max’s underwear.  He finally pulls the fabric down, and his boyfriend’s breath shallows when he exposes Max.  David swallows and cautiously wraps his hand around the rapidly hardening flesh, eyes flicking from his erection to Max’s eyes for encouragement.  Max chokes on air and tilts his head back for a moment, hissing oxygen from between his teeth.  David’s eyes train themselves on Max’s face.  “I-Is this okay?” he asks, breathless and excited.

 

Max nods, moving his hands to David’s hair.  “Y-Yeah, fuckin’ perfect, Davey”.  It's not, it's a little clumsy and maybe too tight a grip, but Max couldn't ask for anything better with how wonderful he feels right now.  David moans quietly and his eyelids flutter closed a moment.  David adjusts himself on his knees, moving closer to Max, and curiously licks his cock.  At Max’s panted curses he grows a bit more adventurous and swirls the hot, soft flesh of his tongue around the sensitive organ.  “Fuck, Davey-” Max growls quietly, tightening his grip in David’s soft hair.

 

David looks up under ginger lashes and carefully pulls Max’s cock into his mouth, hands moving to Max’s hips and rubbing small circles in the hollows.  Max growls and pulls some of his hoodie up with one hand to bite the fabric and keep silent.  He curses around the bite of hoodie as David’s soft mouth moves and makes room in his throat for Max.  Max tries to focus on breathing evenly, but he finds his lungs constricted suddenly with each suck David makes, melting under the ministrations.

 

David suddenly seems to get impatient and moves quickly down Max’s length.  Too much too soon it seems, and he gags around it, pulling himself off with a cough.  Max moans quietly and works his jaw at the sight of drool dripping from his boyfriend’s lips, full and red with exertion.  “Ah- sorry, let me try again-” David whispers, resituating himself a second time.  “This is- this is kind of hard”.

 

Max hums and gives a nod, thoughts running out of his head deliriously at the sight.  “Relax your jaw, it’s easier,” Max murmurs.  “And don’t move so fast, ease up- yeah, there you go…”  David eased his way down the length a bit more confidently, moving up and down the length curiously.  A sharp jolt runs through Max, and  _ not _ the good kind.  “Watch the teeth!” Max snaps, tightening his hand in David’s hair a moment.

 

David moans around his cock and Max has to fight not to buck into his face.  He slips a moment later when David moans again and swallows around him.  He impulsively forces his hips up and into the velvet warmth of David’s mouth.  He feels David gag around him but relaxes almost instantly, eyes closing with another moan from deep in his lungs.

 

His mind flickers to moments before when David had whined in pleasure at his praise.  When David’s hips had twitched when he’d grabbed him by the hair and thrust into his mouth.   _ Oh.  So that’s how it is, huh? _

 

“Is this okay, Davey?” Max asks carefully, giving a shallow thrust into David’s mouth.  His boyfriend gives an affirming hum, eyes still closed and looking completely enraptured, hanging off Max’s cock.  “Jesus, you're such a fucking freak.  It really is always the sweet ones, huh?”  David moans around him and moves further up his cock, eyes opening halfway to stare blearily into Max’s.  His hands creep up and down his hips curiously, soft palms feeling them up, making Max twitch.  “God, you’re being such a good boy for me right now,” Max purrs, watching drool fall from David’s lips; the man too dazed or simply uncaring to recognize the lewdness.  “You look like a fucking dream, letting me fuck your face like this.  I bet you couldn’t wait to get me alone the second we walked in here, huh?  Is that it,  _ Davey _ ?  Couldn’t wait to let me fuck that pretty mouth of yours?”

 

David’s eyes roll back in his head with a high pitched, quiet whine and Max catches sight of his boyfriend’s hips rutting against the floor.  Carefully, he presses the ball of his foot to the front of David’s dress pants just a little too hard.  David whines around Max’s cock and ruts up hard into the pressure.  Max immediately pulls his foot away, David opening his eyes in confusion.  “Touch yourself, David, I want to watch you,” he growls quietly, holding still a moment as he hears someone walk by the door.

 

David uses a trembling hand to unbuckle his own belt, hand pushing down into the pants and bring out his hard cock.  David fists it feverishly, sucking Max back down the second Max fucks into his mouth.  “Fuck, you look so pretty fucking your hand”.  David whines around him and sucks hard.  Max growls, fucking into the warm mouth that he’d never have even dreamed of getting into.  “So cute, getting yourself off while you let me fuck your face.  What if someone walked in on us like this?  I bet you’d fucking like that, wouldn’t you?”  David whines, popping off for a breath and then immediately sinking back onto Max, eyes staring up and into his own, the usually vibrant teal clouded and warm with fervor.

 

“Shit- David pull off, I’m gonna fuckin’ cum-” Max growls quietly, tugging David’s hair away from him.  David opens his eyes and glares at him blearily, stubbornly moving back down his length and sucks harder.  Max’s hips jump and David tightens his hand around his hip bone, nails digging into his skin.  “Shit-!   _ David, pull off you little freak, _ I’m going t-”  David cuts him off with a few swipes of his hot tongue around the bottom of his cock, sucking hard and fisting his own cock.

 

Max tips his head back, holding his breath because he knows that if he lets a single wisp of air hiss through his teeth, he’s going to scream and give them away.  He rocks shallowly into David’s hot mouth as his boyfriend gags around him.  He looks down breathlessly and sees a bit of white drip out of the corner of David’s mouth, and he feels something wet drip onto his sock.  Looking down, he sees David’s cock drooling onto it, David moaning into his navel, muffled and gagged on him.

 

Max finally pulls his softened cock from his boyfriend’s lips, gasping for air.  He feels light-headed at the sight, skin still buzzing and burning like he were full of hornets.  “Jesus fuck, did you cum on me?” he asks breathlessly.

 

“Sorry,” David rasps, seeming to come back to himself enough to have his cheeks flush in embarrassment.  He wipes his chin hastily as he stands up, tucking himself back into his pants, hands trembling.  “I didn’t-” David’s chest heaves quickly.

 

Max curses under his breath and tucks himself back into his pants.  He pulls David close and revels in the warm touch.  “Hey- shit, calm down!  You were great”.  Max swallows and shivers in the intimate warmth of David’s chest against his as he feels the ginger’s breathing even out slowly.  “Don’t get me wrong Davey, I loved it, but what the hell brought this on?”

 

David flushes and grabs a paper cup from the dispenser at the sink.  “I- I just wanted to remind you- ugh, never mind, it’s stupid,” he mumbles.

 

The gears in Max’s head begin to turn in confusion, working around the words.  “No, tell me.  What the fuck was that all about?”

 

“It’s stupid!” insists David.

 

“Then it won’t matter if you tell me,” Max shoots back, irritated.  What the hell got into him?

 

David grimaces and looks down, avoiding eye contact by focusing on buckling his pants.  “I just-  I wanted to remind you who you’re with, is all”.

 

Max’s mind grinds to a full stop.  “Who I’m with?  What the hell does-” his mind flickers back to the conversation with Billy moments ago.  David fidgeting.  David snuggling further into Max’s side at each of his laughs, lacing their fingers together.  Gloating about his summer camp pridefully, a strange look that he now recognized as rivalry when he'd looked at Billy.

 

Holy.  Shit.

 

“Oh my god!  You’re fucking jealous!” he rasps, swallowing the saliva that had pooled in his mouth moments ago and buckles his pants.

 

David spits his water that he’d been swishing around in his mouth into the sink, almost missing.  He turns quickly and glares, a small line of water dripping from bright red, used lips.  “I most certainly am  _ not! _ ” he shrieks.

 

Max snorts. “Yeah okay.  Keep your voice down”.

 

David crosses his arms obstinately, cheeks flush in embarrassment.  “I’m  _ not! _ ” he reiterates, quieter this time.

 

There’s a knock at the door.  “Hey assholes, are you almost done?  I gotta take a leak,” Nikki hollers through the door.

 

David turns around angrily.  “Just go outside!  I’m trying to prove a point!” he shouts through the door with vindication.

 

“Finally!  A good excuse!” Nikki cheers, footsteps thumping off.

 

David whips around, face red and eyes narrowed.  Max grins in amusement when a finger is thrust into his face.  “I am  _ not _ jealous!”

 

Max sighs and smacks the hand away, watching David’s face flush in embarrassment.  “Babe, I never liked Billy like that,” he says quietly with a sigh.  “Look, it was just-  I thought maybe I could just get some experience in or something, I don’t know,” he ruffles his hair in frustration, leaning against the door.  He zips his pants back up and buckles them, fidgeting on the belt.  “Look it was just-  It wasn’t anything more than like, some kind of weird business deal.  Billy was always just kind of relaxed about that shit, and I knew he wouldn’t ask questions, so it- yeah, I just-”

 

David quietly watches him fumble for words.  “So you never dated?  Or liked him like you like me?” he asks in a small voice, the retribution in his eyes giving way to something more vulnerable and delicate.  A soft, small place hidden deep in David’s heart that Max had a feeling was as desperate and needy for some kind of affection as his own.

 

“No, never,” Max admits.  “We just- we were just using each other.  It barely lasted for a month or two.  I didn’t-” Max breaks off, but continues again when David tilts his head.  “I didn’t like it when he touched me,” he mumbles.  “It was-  I felt wrong after”.  He hugs his arms around himself and avoids David’s eyes, determinedly looking at the shower curtain.  "It wasn't like he fucking raped me or anything," he rushes out nervously, recognizing how he sounded.  "It was just-"  He growled, annoyed at his lack of words.

 

“Max-” David whispers, cut off by his phone pinging with a text notification.  “Does it- do you feel-”

 

“I like when you touch me,” Max mumbles quietly, knowing the question coming.  “It’s nice”.  True, it still left his skin buzzing and burning, had him twitching like he was being tazed, but he felt strangely and wildly safe.

 

David is quiet a moment.  “I have to leave for Ma’s,” he says offhandedly.  Max looks up in confusion, catching sight of the phone open to a text.  “But afterward,” David hurries, “Could we- could we maybe do more?” he asks, face flushing.

 

Max’s chest stops moving and he almost feels time slow down.  “I-  Yeah.  Yeah, absolutely”.

 

David smiles widely.  “Yeah?  O-Okay!  Good!  Great!”  David fumbles to unlock the door.  “When I get back to camp then we can… move forward?”

 

Max nods, before smirking.  “Yeah, sure, but Davey?  Babe?”

 

“Yes, Max?” he chirps, pausing.

 

“You’ve got blowjob hair,” he mentions.  David looks into the mirror, mortified.  “And you’ve still got some jizz on your cheek”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter has more goodies lmao :9


	27. Jealousy Is A Bitch, But I'm Her Owner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yet more nsfw. have fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long, i keep getting distracted by monster hunter world.

Max ended up going home early anyway.  David's text of  _ “On my way home!  Be there by 12! <3” _ had made a lightning bolt of excitement shoot down his spine and quickly excuse himself home without explanation.  He was lucky his friends were used to his random and inexplicable appearances and disappearances at whim.

 

As excited as Max was, he found himself twitching with apprehension.  What if he panicked when David touched him? He grimaced remembering all the times he'd turned violent when David had let his hand drift to Max’s skin without warning.  He didn't want to hurt David. Not when he so desperately wanted to do things right this time.

 

David had taken him in and offered him everything with minimal, if any, hesitation and asked for so little in return.  The entire summer David had taken care of him in some way, nurtured some soft part of himself Max had thought had gone empty, drained slowly but surely out until there was nothing there.  He'd offered Max everything, and through some stroke of luck or insanity on the universe's end, managed to love him back. The least he could do was be a decent lay for the redhead’s first time.

 

_ It's your first time too you know. _  Max grit his teeth.  He didn't give a shit if he got anything out of this.  This wasn't exactly like the time he'd let himself get stripped by a stranger with the intention of having sex with them only to panic and punch the guy.  Max was almost perfectly sober right now, the slight high he'd gotten at Nikki’s near completely worn off, not to mention he wanted this badly.

 

Max rolled into the driveway and walked into their shared cabin.  He looked around the dark shared space and watched the shadows move and flicker in the moonlight.  

 

He did want this.  He wanted David more than anything.  He clenched his fist around his car keys.  He wanted to make David feel good, wanted to watch David twitch around him, wanted to hear the man’s voice crack around a cuss.  His fingers fidgeted and hung his keys with the others. He ruffled his hair with a sigh and slowly pulled his coat off, thumbing his hoodie.  He ought to just take it off.

 

He heard wheels crunching gravel in the driveway and checked the clock.

 

12:11 PM.

 

_ Showtime, _ he thought to himself dryly.  He pulled his hoodie off slowly, almost anxious about parting with the cloth.

 

The door creaked open and Max turned to see David with two shopping bags and a nervous look on his face.  “H-Hey,” David offered.

 

“Hey,” Max replied.  “What’s that?” He nodded to the bags.

 

David looked down like he’d forgotten they were there.  “O-Oh, my Ma said she wanted me to take some food home for you, since you didn’t get to come”.  Max felt strangely touched that a woman he’d never met sent him food. “And the rest is- it’s stuff for tonight,” David finished, cheeks flushed.  Max’s lips twitched to an amused smirk as David set the bags on the table, the bag of food quickly pushed into the mini fridge. Max dumped the other box’s contents onto the couch.  “A-Ah, Max-” David mumbled embarrassedly. “I-I wasn’t really sure what to get-” David trailed off.

 

Max snorted to himself.  Three boxes of different kinds of condoms that had fallen out, along with two kinds of lube, an “arousal balm”, and a pack of dental dams.  Max examined the condoms in amusement. “Strawberry flavored? Really?” He asked in amusement. “What the hell? Why’d you get latex-free?”

 

“I wasn’t sure if you were allergic or not!” David shot back defensively.

 

Max snorts and rolls the lubes in his hand.  Christ, David was even thoughtful when he was buying condoms to fuck with.  He shouldn’t even be surprised. “So,” Max begins, excitement burning in his veins as much as anxiety wells soon after.

 

David gave a shy smile, cheeks still pink.  “So?”

 

“How did you want to do this?” Max asks.  “It’s your first time right? You must have a few ideas of what you want”.  Max leans against the wall, unboxing the hypoallergenic condoms and fingering a foil-bound packet idly, watching his boyfriend.

 

David twitched and Max could see eagerness flaring in his eyes in the low light.  “I-I… gosh, this is so embarrassing,” David mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck with a shy smile.  Max just raises an eyebrow and pauses in his rolling of the packet in his fingers. “I… I’d kind of like to, um, receive?  Is… is that the right word?” David fumbles his sentences. “I- at least this time anyways”.

 

“You want to bottom?” Max affirms.  He feels a small note of relief as well as disappointment run through him.  He’d have let David fuck him, but he’s not sure how comfortable he’d be with it, at least for his first time.  Still, a small part of him wanted to watch David lose himself a moment and pin him to the bed.

 

David nods shyly and sits on his own bed nervously.  “Y-Yes. This time, anyways,” David repeats, almost to himself.  Max takes the items he’s chosen from the bag and makes his way to David.  David’s eyes flicker to him, burning with excitement and apprehension. David breathes out harshly and moves forward to press a soft kiss to Max.  “I-” David breaks the kiss before diving back in again, arms locking around Max’s shoulders. Max braces himself with a palm on the bed, the other cupping David’s cheek.  “I feel safe,” David whispers. “Knowing that you’re in charge”.

 

Max swallows, unable to stop the crazed grin that splits his face.  Pride swells in his throat and he finds himself unable to respond, his tongue simply not working.  Instead, he pushes David down to the pillows, pressing harsh, heated kisses to the redhead’s lips, swallowing the gasps he lets out.  He nudges against the red marks he’d left, sucking the skin of his neck into his mouth and bit. David gasps and moves his hand to the back of Max’s head, knotting in the hair.  Max releases immediately, worried. “No biting?” he rasps.

 

David shakes his head feverishly.  “N-no, it’s fine! Good!” He swallows.  “I- I like it!” he assures, doe-eyed pupils blown wide with exhilaration.  Max nods, pressing a kiss to his lips and unbuckling David’s belt. He pulls the pants down slowly, a silent offer for David to grasp his hands and back out.  However, his boyfriend didn’t and only lifted his hips in eager assistance. Max tossed the pants to the floor to join their socks and shoes.

 

David shifts uncomfortably, rubbing a circle into the sheets with a long finger whilst Max admired the long expanse of skin with pale ginger hairs. He curiously rubs a palm up a muscular calf. David lifts it, flesh tensing under the skin, flexing the toned muscles underneath.  Max runs his nails down the skin of his boyfriend’s thigh, enjoying the shiver. He moves closer up the bed and David hooks the leg around, not quite touching him.  He slips his fingers under the elastic of David’s briefs, snapping it back to the pale skin playfully.

 

“I-” David falters above him, looking strangely small.  He swallows as Max pauses his ministrations to listen. “I heard this can hurt sometimes,” David whispers.

 

Max rubs the soft skin of David’s bare leg, feeling the small hairs.  “Only if you do it wrong. Which I’m not going to,” Max states plainly with conviction.

 

Relief spreads across David’s face and almost completely relaxes.  “O-Oh… That’s… That’s good!” he says.

 

Max chuckles, smoothing his hand up David’s thigh to his hip and under his boyfriend’s dress shirt and sweater vest, pushing it up.  He’s seen David without it before, but never in an intimate setting like this. Smooth muscles beneath his hands shake and quiver like he was strumming them.  He flattens his palm against the hard muscle of his abdomen, savoring the flesh like a treat he shouldn’t be having. David shakily pulls the vest off first and begins to undo the buttons of his dress shirt with shaking hands.  Max waits excitedly, stroking up and down the muscular abdomen and moves close, pressing a closed-mouthed kiss to David’s neck, just above the collar. David gives a sharp intake of breath, pulling the crisp fabric off and tossing it to the floor with his sweater vest.  David’s muscles bunch nervously under his hands and as much as Max enjoys the feeling of the muscles flexing, he’s upset by the meaning.

 

Max grins into David’s neck and playfully nips at his earlobe, eliciting a slight jump from the redhead.  He licks the soft skin at the juncture of his shoulder and neck and feels the soft moan before he hears it.  “Relax,” Max murmurs. “This is supposed to be fun”.

 

“I- I am relaxed!” David protests, turning his head to the side to bare his neck.  

 

Max nips at the skin, delighting in the suppleness.  “No, you’re not. I can feel how relaxed you aren’t,” he growls and gives a playful swat to the soft thigh.

 

David jumps under the slap and gives him a withering glare.  Max just grins and lowers. “Hand me a pillow?” he implores. David gives a slight huff, pushing one of David’s many pillows down to him.  Max pushes the pillow under the small of David’s back, allowing his hips to rest higher. His fingertips slip inside the waistband and he looks up, an idea sparking.  “Hey,” he says, grabbing David’s attention. “Think you can keep your hands on the sheets?”

 

David’s brows knot in confusion.  “W-Why?” he asks, raising his hips, accentuating the tent in his briefs.

 

Max smirks, resting his face on a creamy thigh and watched David’s breath catch.  “Think of it like a game,” Max replies, voice low. If he could avoid David touching him suddenly while he did this, he’s certain he’d be able to have better control.  “If you behave,” he purrs, “I’ll take very good care of you”. David shivers and gives a nod after little hesitation, hands moving to his sides and worrying the fabric of his sheets.  Max nodded and pulled his boyfriend’s briefs down, flipping the garment off the legs with a flick, exposing David.

 

Max worked his jaw anxiously, watching David's face.  David gave a nervous smile, shyly pulling his creamy thighs apart and looked away.  Max’s eyes drift along the soft skin, his fingertips pressing into the sensitive flesh along their inside.  David’s breath hitches above him, and he runs his nails down the outside before running them back up. His fingers kneaded the muscular limbs and pulled himself closer, pressing his lips to the sensitive skin inside.  David twitched letting out a small noise.

 

God, it made Max so indescribably hungry for more.  He grazed his teeth against the soft skin. He sank them gently into the sensitive skin, sucking the skin carefully.  David’s head rolled back, his back arching. One of his hands pulled up from the sheet, seemingly about to grab Max, but fell back against the sheet in frustrated submission.  Max smirked against the thigh. “Good boy,” he purred into the thigh, enjoying the red print of his teeth on the inside of his thigh. David whimpered, opening his thighs more.  He sank his teeth in again, more confident this time and a little harsher. He licked the bite, popping the cap of the lube off and letting it slick his fingers. His blood was burning with excitement.  God, he couldn't wait to feel David around him.

 

He bit again on the other side, sucking harshly at the skin.  He worried he was biting a bit too hard, but then David's hips lurched with a moan, shivering.  Max pressed a lubed finger to David's perineum, warning him with a small rub before sliding in. David let out a long breath, muscles twitching in frantic control.  Max sucked the skin of the inside of his thigh with a grin, catching David’s pleasure clouded eyes, ignoring David’s erection. “How you doing up there, Davey? Still here?” He rasped pumping the finger, a second finger slipping inside after the ginger relaxed a bit.

 

David hissed and let out a small laugh.  “N-Never better! A-ah, I'm- I’m doing just fine!”

 

Max hummed, swiping his tongue along the hollow of his hip, curiously pumping the fingers in his hole.  God, David was so achingly  _ warm _ around him.  He'd never felt something so soft and intimate as the careful press of his fingers into the wet heat.

 

An idea suddenly sparks in his head, lighting fire in his veins.  “Hey, Davey,” he purrs, catching his eyes, “Want to see something cool?”

 

David gives a quizzical hum and curiously nods.  “What do I-  _ oh my- _ what do I have to do?” he asks, breathy moans escaping him.

 

Max grins.  “Nothing. More what you  _ can’t _ do.  You aren’t allowed to touch yourself,” Max says with a sharp grin.  “Just let me have fun  _ right here, _ ” he purrs and gives a particularly hard thrust with his fingers, watching David’s eyes roll back with a cry that has his gut roiling with heat.  “That sound fun?” he asks innocently.

 

David nods rapidly.  “Y-Yes”. His hips move circularly, curiously settling back into the pillow.

 

 “Have you-” Max begins but breaks off as he teasingly stretches his boyfriend further open.  “Have you done this before?”

 

“D-Done what?” David asks, Max still staring at the way those marvelous hips twitched under his ministrations.

 

David arched again as Max reached further into him.  “This” he clarifies. 

 

“N-No…” David hesitantly says, embarrassed.

 

“Why not?” Max asks, searching.

 

David whimpers, hands gripping his pillow and gritting his teeth between gasps.  “I-I could never get the right- the right angle, I guess”. He pants into the pillow as Max twists his fingers inside.  “It- it never felt this g-good… D-Did you?” he asks in return.   
  


“Of course, David.  I've got depression,” Max says dryly.  “I can't afford not to jerk off”. David gives him a withering look before breaking off when Max twists his fingers inside again with a grin.  “Put your hands on my shoulders”. David's hands flung immediately to his biceps, kneading the flesh desperately. Max twitched at the touch, focusing on the feeling of David wrapped around his fingers.  “Wouldn't want you to get lost”.

 

David gave him a confused look before his eyes rolled into the back of her head with a sharp groan as Max pressed his fingers to the soft gland he’d been searching for.

 

“Relax, babe,” Max purrs, feeling David's hand clench around his shoulders.  “You tighten up any more and you'll break my fingers off”.

 

David huffs, eyes blinking down to him.  “I-I’m trying- Oh god-  _ Max! _ ” He broke off with a sharp cry as Max once again pressed his finger to his prostate again, rubbing circles on the soft tissue.  Max grinned, faltering a moment when he caught a glimpse of small tears at the edge of David’s eyelashes. Before he could as what was wrong, David immediately groaned and gave a small twitch of his hips down, fucking himself on Max’s fingers.  Max felt his jaw drop, watching muscular legs work to push him further onto his fingers. “W-Why did you stop?” David whines above him, Max’s eyes snapping up to David's warm teal.

 

Max swallowed and pressed his fingers back in, teasing David open and pressing into the heat.  His shoulders burn with David’s touch, but it feels so terribly good to be held. He undulates his fingers, watching David’s hardness twitch.  David cries out when Max moves suddenly to abuse the spongy tissue of the gland over and over.

 

David stutters increase, his hands digging nails into his shoulders.  Max nips harshly at the underside of the thigh that he’d pulled carefully over his arm.  He was starting to feel a bit overstimulated from the small simple touches and it made him growl into David’s thigh, taking the irritation out on the reddened skin.

 

David suddenly broke off with a sharp cry and moved his hips down onto Max’s fingers with sharp movements and dug his hand into Max’s hair.  Max startled and sank his teeth into the twitching thigh harder than he’d meant, watching David’s face twist, a trail of drool falling from his mouth.  Max quickly pulled off the thigh realizing what he was doing and held the hand in his, knotting their fingers together as David slowly came down. “I- Jesus, are you okay?”  He pulls his fingers out slowly, watching David shudder and flexes them.

 

David cracks an eye open, panting.  “I- I- yes of course! That- That was amazing!  What do you mean?” he asked.

 

Max looks down at the thigh and winces a bit, seeing the skin had broken in some places and left a small smear of blood along the creamy thigh.  Max licked his lip and tasted copper. “Uh, I kinda bit you pretty fucking hard… are you sure you’re okay?” he asks.

 

David sighed with an expression of relaxed bliss and squeezed his hand reassuringly.  “I’m telling you, I’m fine! But…” David trailed off.

 

“Yeah?” he encourages.

 

“Why didn’t… you know…” David gestures down to his still hard erection.  When Max didn’t answer, he sighs with a blush and continues. “Why didn’t anything come out?”

 

Max swallows and feels himself twitch.  “That happens sometimes with that sort of shit, it’s normal”.  Max bites his lip, apprehension falling over him in waves. “Do you-  Do you still want me to fuck you?” he asks, heart pounding.

 

David flushes, wiping his face.  “I- yes,” he replies almost instantly.

 

Max hesitates.  “Are you sure?”

 

David nods excitedly.  “Please!” he pleads, tugging Max closer by his arm.

 

Max bites his lip in apprehension.  “Okay,” he whispers and pulls his pants and briefs down and off, letting them fall the floor.  He pulls the condom off the sheets next to him and rips the foil open, rolling the cover onto himself and drizzled a bit extra lube just to be safe.  David watches curiously with half-lidded eyes, fingering the sheets nervously. Max carefully moves close, rubbing his hands in a silent sooth up David’s sides, thumbing the twitching muscles gently.  Max swallows and taps David’s thigh. “Still fine?” he asks, nudging David’s ass with his cock.

 

David nods with a small smile.  “Yes,” he whispers bravely. “C’mon.  I want you,” his hand drifting up to the back of Max’s neck, a leg hooking around his hips shyly.  Max twitches at the touches and finds himself leaning closer and slipping in.

 

David’s breath caught, rolling his hair in long fingers.  Max stopped immediately, gritting his teeth when David clenched around him.  “I’m okay,” David says in a small voice. “K-Keep going”.

 

Max nods, slowly pushing in and pausing every few seconds until he feels himself bottom out and his hips run flush with David’s.  He pants, constantly moving, shifting and stirring slowly in an attempt to relax against the touches searing his skin. “A-Are you good?” he asks through his teeth, sweat pooling on his brow.  He opens his eyes, looks up, and finds himself speechless.

 

David is grinning, wide and satisfied, his eyes closed and brows drawn in pleasure.  His hair sticks to his forehead, glued there with sweat. Pale chest heaving with large breaths, farmer’s tanned arms flexing as they worried the pillow beneath his head.  David opened his eyes and bit his lip, making Max swallow dryly. “M-Move,” David pleaded, smiling. Excitement sparked in his eyes.

 

Max grinned himself, suddenly and wildly full of exhilaration himself, the look in David’s eye infectious.  “What?” Max cooes, snapping his hips flush with David’s and digging his nails into a plush asscheek. “Like that?”  David’s head rolls back, bearing down on his cock in acceptance with a shriek. Max can’t help the wild laugh that bubbles up from his lips, the entire situation seeming very surreal all of a sudden.  He snapped his hips harder, lowering to an elbow until only a breath away from David’s chest and panted harshly. “God, you look so fucking pretty like this-” Max moans, pressing his forehead against the twitching muscles of David’s chest.  His hips snapped erratically, hand fumbling up to between them to stroke David in his slick fist.

 

David whined, hands fluttering along his boyfriend and digging his nails into Max’s sides or raking his nails down his back.  Max hissed through his teeth, skin burning each place David pressed into him, taking out the rising need to shake the hands off on his ass, thrusts becoming steadily harder.  He sucked marks into David’s chest, red marks forming on the pale skin. David stuttered his name, a desperate plea. “God, you have no idea-” Max growls, slamming harshly into his boyfriend, “-how fucking long I’ve been thinking about you like this.  You look even better than I could’ve ever thought”.

 

David whines, hips twitching and hands suddenly moving up and into Max’s hair to knot in the dark strands.  Max growls, muscles jumping. “You did so fucking good, fucking yourself on my fingers, looking like a goddamn dream-”

 

“Max-” David cries, pressing his lips to his and tangling his fingers further in his hair.  Max cracks and falls, pressing his chest to David’s. His skin sears. He’s never felt so warm, felt so much skin on his, felt so-  “I love you,” David says, voice cracking in pleasure.

 

_ Felt so loved. _

 

Orgasm rushes through him and leaves him trembling in David’s arms, fisting David’s cock desperately and feels David’s own when he tightens around him and comes with a startled cry.  Max digs his fingers into David’s pert asscheek, rolling his hips a little slower, easing them both down, watching David’s face with awe. 

 

Small flecks of tears trimmed David’s lashes and a lazy smile overtook his face.  Max felt his heart stop when he turned the look down to him and sniffled. “Max?” he calls, shaking Max from his reverence.  He’s sharply reminded of their skin to skin contact, hot and sticky and  _ all over him he wants it  _ **_off-_ **

 

“I’ll clean you up,” Max states firmly, carefully pulling out and separating them.  He rushes to the bathroom, stumbling slightly and trembling in overstimulation. He takes a deep breath and looks in the mirror.

 

His eyes are wild and he’s got a bruise forming on his collarbone where David had bitten him when he’d came.  His curls are glued to his forehead and he sees red lines from David’s nails scratched down his stomach, curling to his back.

 

But he did it.  He grins to himself.  He'd barely hurt David, and if it was anything to go by, David seemed to like when he'd bitten him a bit too hard.

 

He swallows, rolls the condom off to throw it away, and wets a washcloth for David.  When he comes back he’s managed to calm himself. He carefully lifts David’s leg and runs the water-cooled cloth down it.  David hums, smiling above him, and Max is afraid to look away from his face, all soft sunny smiles and warm hands on his arm, tracing lines with a fingertip.  When he’s done and David is clean and cooled, he wipes himself and tosses the damp cloth across the bedpost uncaringly. 

 

He falls heavily to his side next to David who opens his eyes adoringly.  “I love you,” he whispers like a secret. Max trembles and slowly folds his arms around David, pressing his chest needily to his boyfriend’s.  He trembles in the warmth, David’s flesh searing a brand into him like he was made of fire, burning him until ash and dust and there was nothing left of him.  “Max…?” David asks, concerned above him.

 

“I love you,” Max croaks, tears coming unbidden to his eyes.  They fall to the pillow and he wipes them away unceremoniously, ending them at their birth and pretends David doesn’t see.  He presses his face into the hollow of David’s neck, breathing deep and reveling in the feeling of absolute safety he’s never had.  “I love you”.

 

David smiles and turns, curling close against him, rolling his hair in his fingers.  Max slowly relaxes, and David begins to hum, sometimes breaking into a nonsense verse of some kind of lullaby.  David softly cooed above him and Max let out a quiet breath curling close, his skin burning. An arm circled around him carefully.

 

Rain started to pour.


	28. Ring Around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max gets his hoodie back.

Max woke up warm and comfortable, but very alone in David’s bed.  He sneezes and draws the covers around him tighter, nuzzling the pillow.  Jesus, everything smells like pine here. Did David sleep with the nettles or something?  He takes a deep breath, inhaling the scent of sweat, pine, and sex. He rose up and rubs his eyes, sitting in the chilled morning air.   _ Fuck, what time is it even? _  He looks to the clock and found it to be rather early for him, 7:22 AM.  Next to the pine tree shaped clock on David’s dresser lay a clean pair of clothes, folded and stacked neatly.  He scours the floor curiously with furrowed brows to find his dirty ones from last night but discovered them already in their shared hamper.

 

Max sighs, a little put off by the sudden lack of David in the cabin, but wordlessly takes the stack of clothes and puts them on.  He pauses, coming face to face with his familiar Watsky hoodie. He frowns, rubbing his thumb over the logo. Why did David give it back now, all of a sudden?  He’d kept it for near half the summer, why return it this morning? Max found himself dreading the answer.

 

He leaves it to the bed to go to the bathroom.  He eyes himself in the mirror. He’s got some light bruising, some raised and red marks from David’s nails.  He smiles a little at a small bruise on his neck.

 

When he returns, the hoodie is still there.  If he were honest, he hadn’t even considered it wholly his anymore, referring to it more as “theirs”.  He wonders if David thought the same. He shifts awkwardly before picking it up and carrying it with him out the door.  Crisp air bit his arms, raising the hairs there on his tan skin. He cusses against the still, foggy air. It was gorgeous outside if he were honest.  Max hadn’t ever been the type to be appreciative of nature, tolerating it only for the solace from large swaths of people it provided. 

 

He quickly rushed his way to the mess hall, avoiding puddles from last night’s rain.  The air smelled clean and fresh. He had a feeling when he got to David, he’d say what he always said after it rains.

 

He pushed the door open, stepping into the warmer room of the mess hall.  As expected, he found David, singing cheerfully. The thing that surprised him though was the familiar blue hoodie he had on.  Max felt his heart squeeze in his chest at the sight and tightened his fists around the hoodie in his hands. David looked up and smiled widely at him.  “Good morning, Max! I’m making waffles! Did you see the rain from last night?” 

 

Here it comes.

 

“Gosh, it just makes everything smell so nice, don’t you think so?”

 

There it is.

 

Max chuckles to himself and nods.  David frowns looking over. “How come you don’t have your hoodie on?  It’s freezing out there, you’ll get sick!” his boyfriend scolds, setting a plate out of bacon.  Max sits down onto the barstool and without prompt, David places his favorite mug with coffee in front of him.  Warmth bursts in Max’s chest and he can’t help the small, tired smile that curves its way onto his face. He pulls his sweatshirt over his head to hide it, and manages to straighten himself out before poking his head out from the shirt hole.  When he pulls it down, he sees a plate of waffles in front of him and a bottle of syrup waiting. “Dig in while it’s still warm!” David cheers, sitting down next to him with his own plate.

 

Max snorts, sipping coffee slowly, trying to soothe his stomach enough to eat.  “You’re ridiculous”. David chuckles and eats. As he chews through his food, he shifts uncomfortably.  Max frowns, watching him. “You okay, Camp Man?”

 

David gives him an awkward grin, face pink.  “Yes! I, um… it’s just chafing. My, um, my thighs?” he rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, setting his knife down.

 

Right.  Max had gotten blood out of him when he’d bit him.  It probably really stings. He winces to himself and downs the rest of his coffee.  “Sorry,” he mutters. “Does it hurt? Fuck, I didn’t mean to bite that hard”. He trails off in shame.  God, if only he hadn’t fucking lost himself for a moment when David startled him… at least he hadn’t done anything worse, he supposes.

 

David shakes his head firmly.  “No! No, it was- you were great!  I kind of… liked it”.

 

Max stares at him, sure his jaw had dropped.  “Seriously? I bit you like a fucking dog!”

 

David laughs, cheeks red.  He drinks his tea as if to distract himself.  “No, no, it’s fine! Well, maybe  _ that _ time was a bit too hard, but the others were great!  I-” he breaks off, biting his lip. “Did you really mean that?”

 

Of course, Max chooses  _ now  _ to take his first bite into the waffles.  He swallows the buttery deliciousness quickly.  “Mean what?” he asks, thinking back.  _ I love you. _

 

David shifted again, but Max had a feeling it wasn’t due to the bites on his thighs.  “When you said you didn’t like it… when he- when he touched you?” David looked at him meekly from under his lashes.

 

Max almost laughed.  “What- yeah, of course I meant that!  Why are you hung up on that?”

 

David flushed darker, face twisting into an embarrassed frown.  “If you’re going to make fun of me, then never mind!” he huffs, returning to eating but somehow viciously this time.

 

“Fuck, David,” Max sighs.  “Of course I meant that. I didn’t think you would get so bent out of shape about shit like that,” he says, somewhat tense.  He hesitantly lays his arm across David’s shoulders. David stiffens and looks morosely up at him, syrup smeared on his cheek.  Max fights not to laugh and rub it off of him. “It’s- look, Billy didn’t like… mean anything to me”.

 

“Really?” David says hopefully.  “You aren’t just saying that are you?”

 

“You know I’m not that kind of bullshitter, David.  Of course”. Max sighs and continues eating.

 

David sits up a little straighter, seemingly pleased.  “Was… was I okay?” David turns a bit to Max. “Last night, I mean”.

 

Max sighs, amused.  “Yes,” he chuckles. “Yeah you were amazing,” he replies, leaning over to press a kiss to David’s syruped lips.  David hums in surprise before leaning closer. He could kiss David forever, he thinks. He was all softness and warmth, and a little shiver went up his back every time David reached up and ran a hand through his hair.

 

“I’m sorry,” David whispers, breaking away.  “You must think I’m some kind of idiot, getting jealous over something from high school... I didn't even know you then,” he chuckles quietly. He settles back into his seat, looking embarrassed.

 

“Nah.  You’re pretty hot when you’re jealous,” he says snickering.

 

David seems to brighten almost pridefully.  “Really?”

 

Max snorts.  “Sure. Gotta say, you sure did blow me in Nikki and Nerris’s bathroom yesterday,” he says, laughing when David splutters into his tea, turning bright red.  “God, you were really into it, weren’t you? And you did so well. Are you sure you haven’t been blowing your _other_ boyfriend in any bathrooms before me?” he teases, watching David wring his hands.

 

“N-No!  Don’t- Don’t tease me like that!  I haven’t- I never-” his boyfriend frantically wrings his hands and tries to reassure.

 

“Oh, so it’s just me that you’ll fuck in a bathroom?  Is that a kink you have?”

 

“Max!  Cut it out!” he whines, pulling the hood over his head and down over his eyes.

 

Max laughs nastily.  “Oooh you’re such a  _ dirty boy, _ Davey,” he purrs mockingly.  “Sucking your boyfriend off in a bathroom, getting your face fucked, creaming yourself when I bite you too hard- you’re just fucking full of kinks aren’t you?”

 

David slaps at his arm.  “Max, come on! Leave me alone!  It’s embarrassing!” he cries. “If you keep teasing me, I’m going to leave!”

 

Max chuckles.  “Yeah, yeah, okay”.  He stuffs the last of the bacon in his mouth, handing the two empty plates to David to put in the dishwasher.

 

Max smirked and walked in, refilling his coffee cup and wrapped an arm around David, sliding a hand under the hoodie to the skin of his stomach and dug his nails in gently.  David squeaked and gave him a withering glare that turned into a begrudging smile the second he saw Max’s mischievous grin. 

 

David pressed a kiss to Max’s cheek and he found himself unable to hide a grin.  He growls playfully pulling his boyfriend closer, smirking into his neck and reveling in the warmth of their chests pressed against each other.

 

Max presses his lips to David’s, playfully teasing his teeth at his lip.  David giggles happily and nuzzles back into the touch. He groans, upset when the phone rings and gives Max an apologetic look.  Max stares back innocently, grabs the phone from David, and taps the speaker button, setting it on the counter. He pushes David to the wall playfully and nibbles at the bruises on his neck.   _ “Hello?  Is this David Holly?” _ a deep voice rang out from the speaker.

 

David cleared his throat.  “Yes! This is him speaking!” he says clearly.  “Max, cut it out!” he whispers. Max rebelliously bites his earlobe and gives his ass a squeeze, earning a small squeak.  “M-May I ask who’s calling?” He is rewarded with another helpless flail and slight resistance when he gives David’s thigh a playful slap.

 

_ “Yes, I’m a representative of Super Guantanamo Penitentiary.  You were an emergency contact for one Cameron Campbell, is that correct?” _

 

Max and David both froze and then turned to the phone.  Max shares a glance with David. His normally warm teal eyes were anxious, and he shrugged with a nervous smile.  Max releases him and they move closer to the countertop. David grabs the phone.

 

“Yes, that’s correct.  Has something happened?” David asks, upset.

 

The man on the other line coughs.   _ “Unfortunately, yes.  Cameron Campbell was found dead last night at approximately eleven P.M.” _

 

David’s eyes widened.  Max felt his own nerves shake.  Not for Campbell, he couldn’t care less about the crooked man, but for David.  He knew the man had once idolized him. Surely this was a shock to him. And indeed, David looked like he was about to pass out.  He pushes a stool close to the phone and then lead David to it. David sat down without argument

 

_ “Mr. Holly?  Mr. Holly, are you still present?” _

 

David clears his throat and Max drops a hand to his shoulder hesitantly, but for once, David didn’t move into it or even acknowledge him.  “Yes. Yes, I’m here. W-what happened exactly?”

 

The voice sighed on the other end.   _ “I’m afraid that he was the victim of a mass poisoning.  He’s one of many here, he was simply one of the first examined.  I am not allowed to tell you much, but we do believe we have the inmate responsible in custody here.  We have reason to believe Cameron Campbell was not involved and was just there at the wrong place and the wrong time, however”. _

 

David held his hand over his mouth and stared at the floor in silence, shaking slightly.

 

_ “Mr. Holly?  I know this may be a shock, but if you have any questions, now is the time to ask.  I will answer to the best of my abilities”. _

 

David shook his head and bit his lip.  “I… What will happen to the camp?” he asks.

 

Max watches with concern.  Something was not right about David.  He was stiff and withdrawn, asking in a tight tone.  Max thought about reaching out but restrained himself, allowing the voice to talk.   _ “What camp?” _

 

David frowned, clearly upset.  “Cameron Campbell’s Camp Campbell!  I am here as we speak! I was told by Mr. Campbell to run it while he was away and was granted temporary ownership of the camp”.

 

The phone emitted a sound like rustling papers.   _ “I’m afraid I don’t have that information with me right now.  I called his lawyer just before you, and he should have a will for distributing his properties.  Right now, I believe it is safe to say you should consider the camp still under your jurisdiction, at least until the will is read.  If you’d like to call the lawyer yourself, I can leave you his phone number”. _

 

“Yes, that would be… best,” David says, distracted.  He grabs a pen from the refrigerator’s pen caddy and writes down a number.

 

“Are you okay?” Max asks as soon as David hangs up the phone.

 

David stands in the center of the kitchen and sways in place slightly.  The warm atmosphere from the buttery scent of their breakfast gone sour and cold in the wake of the recent news.  “I… I don’t know? I- I think I’m okay?”

 

“Yeah?” Max asks curiously walking in and staying a short distance away.

 

“Yeah,” David replies, biting his lip.  “But I feel…” he trails off, looking for the word.  “Bad,” he finishes finally.

 

Max finds himself a bit impatient.  He forces himself to breathe, and asks soberly, “About what?”

 

“Because…” David trails off again.  “Because I don’t feel bad he’s dead”.  David runs a hand through his hair. “I feel like a sociopath or something.  I should feel bad he’s dead, he’s done so much for me, but I don’t feel anything- if nothing else, I'm  _ relieved _ ”.  David shook his head and there was a distinct lack of tears to the affair.

 

“David,” Max says, hesitantly putting a hand on his shoulder.  David meekly looked up at the touch. “Campbell was a manipulative asshole that put you through a lot of shit.  Don’t feel bad for not crying yourself to sleep over him”.

 

David winces, and for a moment Max wonders if he had said the wrong thing.  “But I should  _ feel _ something, shouldn’t I?  Other than relief? The only thing I’m worried about is the camp- oh god, what’s going to happen to the  _ camp _ , Max?!” he asked, turning worried.

 

Max sighs and braces his hands on the countertop.  “Look, I- I don’t know, okay?” Max shook his head.

 

“Max, I don’t have any other work experience than here!  I’ve been working here since I was sixteen, and my only reference just died!” he cries, almost panicking.  “Oh god, what if I have to move out of Sleepy Peak?! I don’t own any place, I just lived here year-round!”

 

“Jesus, David, get a hold of yourself!” Max snaps, finding himself stressed at the situation.  He couldn’t help but wonder if David would want to find a place to live with where he could be as well.  Would they have to find an apartment or something to live in together? Would Max even be able to get another job?  The only reason David had hired him in the first place was because he hadn’t seen his god awful resume, and was just too damn trusting.  “Look, shit’s going to be okay, alright? Worst case scenario, you end up like, herding goats for a living or some shit, and I have to work at WalMart again”.

 

David gave a small smile, but dropped it just as quick.  He moved close and clung to Max suddenly, ducking his head down and onto Max’s shoulder, holding him tight.  “But what if it’s not?” he asked, suddenly seeming very small. “What if we-” David stops the sentence and clutches him closer.

 

Max understands immediately.  “Don’t fucking think like that, just-”  Max sighs. “Look, I- Everything’s going to work out eventually. And if it doesn’t, then it doesn’t, but I’m still going to be here as long as you want me to, okay?”

 

David nods, sniffling.  “Okay… yeah, everything’s going to be fine”.

 

“You’re goddamn fucking right it will be,” Max says with a small grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhhhhhhhhhh i'm so tired but i really want to finish this!!! there's so many more cute things i want to write!!! also, sorry i have no idea how wills work lmao if any law school students want to dm me or leave a comment i'm all ears, but for now this is just going to be whatever haha
> 
> also yeah, David's last name in this is Holly. I tried keeping last names out just in case it ever gets mentioned in canon, but i can always change it so w/e
> 
> gee i wonder who poisoned Campbell lmao


	29. Cry Uncle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who the fuck is Henry?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyways, thanks for the support as always! <3 u guys!!!

“So,” David says loudly over the running of water and dishes clanking.  “You know how I called the number that man left me? Mr. Campbell’s lawyer?”

 

Max threw another pencil into the air and watched as it stuck fast into the ceiling.  He reached for another and began to sharpen it. “Mm-hm,” he hummed agreeably. 

 

“Well, his secretary finally got back to me and they set up an appointment for him to come by a little after Christmas.  I guess Mr. Campbell had an elaborate will”. David sighs, throwing the towel over his shoulder. “Max, please stop that, I asked you to wipe the counter!”

 

“I did,” Max defended, throwing another up.  It slapped against another pencil and knocked the two down.  Max frowned and threw it up again after catching it.

 

David grabs the other out of Max’s hands and takes the pencil package away.  Max glares dryly at his boyfriend. “Well, quit it! I hate getting them down with the broom!  I always get smacked in the face. I’m going to lose an eye because of you!”

 

Max hears a bird call and David pulls out his phone.  David answers with a frown still on his face. “Hi, this is David!”  Max hears a voice mumble indistinguishable from the phone. “Of course I can, but it’s going to take a while… at least a half hour, forty minutes tops!  Why?  Can’t Ma come get you? Is something wrong?” His brows furrowed and Max curiously eyed him. David gives him a small smile in return. “Yes, that’s-  Yeah, no problem! I’ll be there as quick as I can! ...Yup! Okay, I love you, Henry! Be good until I get there, okay?” David sighs, hanging up.

 

“Who was that?” he asks, leaning back in his chair.

 

David fishes his coat from off the coat hook near the door and begins to pull his boots on.  “My little cousin Henry just called. He says he needs me to pick him up from school. Want to come along?” he asks from the door.

 

Max gives a long, obstinate, overdramatic groan.  “Fine,” he sighs after he’s had his fill of being a drama queen.  He pulls his coat on and trudges after David through the snow. “Fuck, I hate this white shit.  What the hell?  Why isn’t his school on vacation yet?”

 

David hops into the car and turns on the heat quickly.  “They’re going on break in a few days,” he replies, biting his lip.  “I’m… worried about him”.

 

“What do you have to worry for?”  He slaps snow off his jeans, annoyed at the wet slush.

 

David sighs.  “He hasn’t been adjusting very well…  He’s living with Ma because of some… complications with his mother and things haven’t been going so good at school, I suppose”.

 

“What, is he some kind of little shit or something?”  Max prods.

 

David’s brow relaxes and he huffs a small laugh.  “No, no, not exactly. He’s just… he’s got a bit of a temper?”  He chuckles quietly. “It’s something he’s working on, but it gets the best of him at times.  We signed him up for hockey hoping it would help, and I suppose it has, but he's still..."  David shrugs.  "I guess he got into a fight”. He says it like a question.

 

“How old is he?” he asks curiously.

 

“Oh, he’s fairly young.  Twelve, I believe”.

 

“Ah.  He’s hitting the teenage-dirtbag years, then”.

 

David splutters.  “W-What?! No, that’s not-”

 

Max huffs in amusement.  “Look, David, it’s fine, alright?  He’s probably just going through an adjustment period like you said.  Don’t worry about it.  As a former teenage-dirtbag, you’ve got nothing to worry about.  He’ll pull a few fire alarms, get a few black eyes, and then he’ll meet a cute redhead, smoke some weed, and chill the fuck out.  Nothing to worry about”. Max moved the seat all the way back so he could see straight up at the ruined car ceiling.

 

“Max, please sit up!  That’s not safe!” The car jerked to a stop, and Max’s knees hit the dashboard.  “Besides, we’re here! Come on, get out!”

 

Max frowns and rubs his knees.  “Can’t I stay here?” he grumbled.

 

David peers down from above him, wide doe eyes staring into his pleadingly.  “Please, Max? I want you to meet Henry!” He grimaces. “Besides… I feel a little braver knowing you’re with me”.

 

Max groans again, dramatically.  “Yeah.  Okay.  Fine.  I guess”.

 

“I love you!” David cheers, clearly relieved.  He grabs Max’s hand in his as soon as they leave the car, and Max would deny the little shiver of happiness he felt go down his spine if anyone asked.

 

They walk in, Max shivering at the warmth rolling over him from the vents above them.  David taps on the window of the office and waves at the young man there who gives a smile and points to the left and makes a two with his fingers.  David nods and mouths a, “Thank you!” through the window.  The man with glasses nods and gives Max a curious but friendly smile.

 

David tugs him along.  “That was Brandon, he’s the nurse and secretary here,” David rambles, seemingly to calm himself.  He pushes open a door labeled as the Principal’s office. 

 

In it, a scrappy boy with a bruised cheek sat with crossed arms in a chair.  He too had ginger hair and bore a resemblance to David (lacking a cowlick), though Max could tell already he would have wider stature than him when fully grown.  The boy sprang up and grabs his backpack. “Great, you’re here. Can we go?” he asked, voice cracking. His tone was quiet.

 

“Not so fast, young man,” a stern voice replied from the other desk.  A stiff-looking woman sat at her desk. Her gray and blonde hair was pulled back into a tight bun at the base of her neck.  “Thank you for coming to get Henry, Mr. Holly,” he says, shaking David’s hand. “And who is this?” she asks, examining Max with an inquisitive eye.

 

“It’s still David, Ms. Kless.  Come on, you’ve known me since I went here!” he says genially and pulls his hand from Max’s to pat his shoulder.  “This is my boyfriend, Max”.

 

“Nice to meet you Max, but this is a family matter.  Would you mind waiting outside?” she says smoothly, giving a polite nod.  She doesn’t reach for Max’s hand when he doesn’t offer one and finds himself grateful.

 

Max is about to confirm it when David speaks up.  “Actually, I’d rather him with me, if you don’t mind.  This shouldn’t take long, right?”

 

Max wrapped a hand around David’s waist encouragingly when the principal raises a brow.  “Very well”. She sighs and motions to her desk. “Well, I’m afraid the younger Mr. Holly over here got into another fight again,” she says, motioning with a hand.  “Bloodied Mr. Kowalski’s nose, and dislocated his finger”.

 

“It’s not my fault he doesn’t know how to hit right,” Henry grumbles.  “Everybody knows you’re not supposed to tuck your thumb in or you’ll fuck up your hand”.

 

“Henry!  Watch your language!” David chides, exasperated.  “And what did we say about fighting!?”

 

“Don’t patronize me, Davey, you’re not my damn dad!” Henry snaps petulantly, though Max can see the boy is mostly just tired.  “Besides, he started it!”

 

“Actually, Henry, many bystanders said that you threw the first punch,” the principal replies.

 

“Only because Dylan said that Aunt Ginger was a slut!” he says louder now, voice cracking.

 

“What?!” cries David, appalled.

 

Henry’s face flushes and he looks down, fists clenched.  “He said Aunt Ginger only took me in because she was bored and wanted a charity case,” he grumbles, face twisted with embarrassment.

 

Ms. Kless frowns sternly.  “Why didn’t you say that when you came in here, Henry?” she asks, stern expression softening slightly.

 

He frowns and shakes his head, looking down.

 

She sighs and turns a few papers over on her desk.  “Did anyone hear this?”

 

Henry shrugs.  “There were a lot of people.  Maybe Kelly and Emily heard? They were with me when he started being a dick about Aunt Ginger…” he says, trailing off.

 

“Language, Henry,” the principal chided.  “But, I see your point. We’ll have to continue this tomorrow.  I expect to see you in detention as well, so we’ll have plenty of time to discuss it”.

 

“Hold on, what?” David interjects, upset.  Henry makes an objecting noise. “Why does he have detention?  He was provoked!”

 

“He still punched a boy, David,” she points out.  “A boy’s finger is dislocated and there was blood.  Even if what he’s saying is true, he’s still going to have to serve a detention at the very least for throwing the first blow”.

 

David’s face twists.  “That’s absurd! Ms. Kless, you heard what that boy said about my little cousin and my Ma!” he protests, face red.

 

Ms. Kless sighs and sits down in her chair.  “David, I run a school.  I have to be fair and have evidence from more than one person, or Mr. Kowalski’s parents will kick up a fuss about the ordeal.  I’ll talk to your friends about the fight tomorrow, Henry, and if their stories coincide with yours, then I’ll be able to get him a detention as well for provoking a fight, but that’s the end of it.  I can’t pull his detention, David, you know this”.

 

David’s face flushes.  “That isn’t- he wouldn’t have punched that boy if he hadn’t said those things!  He was just defending himself!”

 

“From what, David?  He didn’t throw a punch, he was just being rude like kids are.  Look, if the stories coincide I’ll make a note that the fight was provoked on his record, but I can’t pull the charge!” replies the principal, sighing with exasperation.

 

David gives an upset groan of revulsion.  He kicks the chair in front of the desk petulantly.

 

Ms. Kless gives an annoyed look.  “David-” she warns.

 

David snaps back to himself and moves the chair back into place.  “Sorr-”

 

Max elbows him in the ribs.  David gives him an offended look, and Max shakes his head with a raised brow.  A spark of recognition appears, and Max thinks David understands.

 

David frowns and says, “Listen, ma’am: I’d like to go on record and say that my little cousin Henry does not deserve this detention!  No one should call my Ma a- a  _ tramp _ and gets away with it!  And I’d also like to say you’re being a big jerk!”

 

“David, there’s no cameras or records being made of this,” says Ms. Kless, clearly ruffled and unbalanced by David’s sudden behavior.  Max has to bite his tongue to keep from bursting into fits of laughter.  This is absolutely  _ not  _ what he meant or expected, but fuck if it isn’t funny.  His shoulders are shaking with unmade laughter.

 

David takes his hand firmly in his and says firmly, “Henry, get your coat on.  We’re leaving!”

 

Henry, also grinning, grabs his bag and scampers out the door and past Max.  Walking to the door himself, David pauses at a shelf. He looks the principal in her exasperated face, smacks a cup of pencils off the shelf, spilling them onto the floor, and walks out.

 

The second they get in the car, Max is wheezing with laughter.  “That- That is  _ not  _ what I meant when I elbowed you!  Holy shit-” he cackles loudly, tears almost running down his face.

 

“Can you believe her?!” David huffs from his seat, stewing in his own world.  “The audacity!  Henry put your seatbelt on,” he says as an afterthought. 

 

Henry laughs behind them.  “Oh my god, that was amazing.  I wish I had my phone out. Fuck!”

 

David pulls out of the parking lot and onto the road.  “Do you think I was too hard on her? She is just doing her job…  Maybe I should go back and apologize-”

 

“No way!  There’s no fucking way I’m letting you do that!  That was the funniest moment of my life, you are not taking it away!” Henry calls from the back.

 

“Yeah, fuck that,” Max agrees wholeheartedly.  “Jesus Christ, that little cup-smack you did… David, I’m fucking dead”.

 

David blushes.  “Oh, cut it out you two!  Stop joshing me!” David frowns after a moment, looking to the back seat from the rearview.  “And you!” he says pointedly. “What on earth are you doing picking fights at school!?”

 

Henry scowls, crossing his arms.  “I told you!  He called me a charity-case and Aunt Ginger a slut!  Fuck Dylan, he’s an asshole. He’s just pissed ‘cause Em said she wouldn’t go out with him”.

 

David sighs.  “Henry, come on.  I agree that boy was… crass and that comment about Ma was really uncalled for… but sometimes you need to turn the other cheek!  You shouldn’t indulge him.  He’s just trying to get a rise out of you.  He’ll get bored and move on if you don’t acknowledge him,” David says, turning down a dirt road.

 

“He shuts up even faster with my fist in his face,” Henry grumbles, frowning in irritation.

 

Max snorts.  “I like this kid.  You’re Henry, huh?” he says, turning to face him.

 

Henry gives him a doubtful look.  “Yeah, you?”

 

“Max.  David’s boyfriend”.  He’s a bit proud to be able to say that, if he’s honest.  Being known as ‘David’s boyfriend’ is strange but sends a thrill through him.  A small reminder of who he’s with.

 

“Dude, Davey, you’re fucking gay?” Henry says with a raised brow.

 

“Well, my boyfriend is right here so, yes,” David replies.  “Sorry I didn’t come out, I just… forgot? I guess?”

 

Henry cackles in the backseat.  “How do you fucking  _ forget to come out _ ?!”

 

“Well, Ma already knew, and I don’t talk about my private life much!” David defends.  “And there’s never a good time to just say something like that, whereas there’s always a time to introduce your boyfriend!”

 

“Un-fucking-believable,” Max says with a snort.

 

David pulls into a long driveway to a neat but clearly lived-in house.  A barn behind it held at least one horse that Max could see, covered in a bright red horse blanket.  “Is Ma home?” David asks, confused.

 

“Nah, she’s at work.  Thanks for the lift, though”.  The kid hops out and pulls his backpack on.  “Nice to meet you, Max,” he says politely. Max nods, taking in the kid’s anxious demeanor.

 

“W-Well, we could stay and watch you if you like!  Do you need help with any homework?” David says nervously.  Max can see the anxiety rising. “I don’t want you to be all on your lonesome…”

 

Henry shook his head.  “Nah, I already finished it while I was in Ms. K’s, waiting.  Don’t worry, Aunt Ginger’ll be home in, like, an hour or two”.

 

David bites his lip.  “Are you sure? I don’t want you to be… you know, all alone or anything!”

 

Henry shakes his head.  “Nah, it’s cool. I don’t mind.  Thanks, Davey”.

 

David watches hesitantly as Henry walks up the steps and doesn’t pull away until he sees the boy pull his keys out and unlock the door.  He waves from the arch and David waves back with a watery smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh i love salty david that's mega petty. anyways, i actually like this principal. also, Henry is cool lil dude


	30. Cold Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas Eve at David's mother's.

“I’m glad you decided to come with me this time!” David says, bouncing on his feet in the snow.  “This is going to be so much fun! You’ll love it!”

 

“Doubtful, but I’ll let you fucking try,” Max replies dryly.

 

“Gosh, you’ll love my mom.  She’s great! Her boyfriend’s going to be there too”.  David replies, walking to the doorstep. “Are you nervous?”

 

Max shrugs.  “Not really. Worse case scenario she hates me, and she makes us sleep separate or something like that”.

 

“Not even a little bit?” David prys with a sly smile, leaning heavily into him.  “She is my mom you know… What if we must date in secret like two lovers in the eighteen hundreds?”

 

“Then I hope you get the plague and leave me all your money”.

 

David makes an offended noise and gives Max a look while rapping his knuckles on the door.  Several excited barks rang out behind the door and David rushes to open it, excitedly murmuring to himself. 

 

Truth be told, Max did feel somewhat anxious about meeting David’s mother.  He wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t like him; hell, most of the time neither did he, but at least she would only have to see him once a year if they didn’t get along.  He had to listen to himself for the rest of his damn life. The way he saw it, she was getting off easy. Not to mention, David’s familial situation was… significantly different.  As far as he knew, David and his mother had a fairly good relationship, and he was hardly one to get between that.

 

Max pushes his way in after David, fumbling with the gift bags he was holding.  “PRETZEL!” David cheers happily. An old red tick hound dog barks happily at David’s knees, circling around him with anticipation while he set the wrapped gifts on a futon close by.  Max pushed past the happily greeting two and set the gifts next to David’s. David, meanwhile, was grinning happily down at the dog who grinned back just as widely as it wiggled under her human’s pats.  His boyfriend looked up from cooing baby-talk down at the pup to smile at him. “This is Pretzel! She’s technically mine, but we don’t really have the space or time to take care of her at the camp. I miss her so much, but she’s happier here with the horses,” he explains.

 

Max didn’t know David had a dog.  He never talked about it before now… why hadn’t he?  Max frowned down at the smiling, pleased dog with an odd feeling swirling in his gut.  The dog finally took notice of him and he snapped back to himself, the dog’s elation doubling and giving a small bark.  “Pretzel, shush!” David scolded, the dog sneezing at him with what could only be defined as sass.

 

She trotted closer to Max, sniffing his jeans with curiosity, her tail wagging with enthusiasm to match David.  Her drooping brown eyes looked up at him and she grinned a dopey dog grin that all dogs had that said, _Please pet me and be my friend!_ Max offered a hand and she butted under it for a pat without hesitation, closing her eyes into the touch.  Her fur was soft and clean. David’s mom must wash her often, or at least did so knowing she would have family over for the holidays.

 

David took his coat and walked it to the coat closet, Pretzel cheerfully following with a flagged tail.  “I can’t believe you named your dog fucking Pretzel,” Max said with a snort, pulling his boots off. Pretzel perked her ears at her name and gave Max an expectant wag of her tail, looking at him upside down from her spot by David.  Max couldn’t help but chuckle and the dog gave a relaxed pant.

 

“Leave her be!  I was twelve! Besides: Pretzel is a cute puppy name, right, Pretzie?” he asks, cooing down at the dog and rubbing her again.  Her tail wags faster and David takes it as confirmation. “Pretty, pretty Pretzie!  Yes, you are!”

 

“David, honey, is that you?” a voice calls from the kitchen.

 

“Yeah, Ma!  Be there in a second!” his boyfriend calls back, offering his hand to Max.  His eyes glitter with anticipation and asks him quietly, “Ready?”

 

Max sighs.  He shouldn’t be so anxious over this.  He shouldn’t be so upset at the idea she won’t like him.   _ What the hell ever happened to having thick skin, asshole? _  He grits his teeth.   _ Whatever happened to that kid that didn’t give a shit about what people thought? _  Max sighs to himself and frowns.  This was a bit different. Max actually wanted to keep being around David, and by extension, that meant his family.  Just. You know. Less often.   _ What happened to that guy that didn’t give a shit and did what he wanted? _

 

_ He grew the fuck up,  _ he snaps to himself firmly.

 

“Yeah, I’m ready,” Max says, taking David’s offered hand in his.  David led him into the kitchen and out of the mudroom. Max examined every bit of the interior he could see.  Houses let you know a lot about the person you were around.

 

The kitchen was fairly average in size with clean linoleum and plain wooden countertops.  Framed pictures of Pretzel, a recurring horse, and family were strewn through the green-carpeted living room Max was pulled to.  A copper-haired woman with a few streaks of gray turned from her position in front of the television’s wires and grinned at them.  “Hey y’all! There’s my boy! And the stranger!” She stands up straighter and brushes her knees, revealing a ridiculous Christmas sweater with a horseshoe patch sewn on top of the Christmas tree over the star.  David hugs his mother and she kisses his cheek in greeting.

 

She turns to him, smiling in a welcoming fashion.  “Max, right?” Max nods. He feels like if he opens his mouth he’ll make himself sound like an asshole.  “I’m Ginger, Davey’s mama! It’s so good to finally meet you!  It's nice to finally meet the handsome young man my son has been pining over,” she gushes, a southern twang honeying her words.

 

“Ma!” David groans from the kitchen, hauling their presents to the tree.

 

She shushes him and gets on her tiptoes to put her arms around Max’s shoulders in a quick, friendly hug.  Max awkwardly pats his hand against her back, a little put off by the sudden contact. “You too,” Max manages, kicking himself internally for being so awkward.  At least he didn't stutter.

 

Ginger pulls away and smiles before turning to David.  “Bradley and Caleb are coming with Petey,” she says with a smile.

 

“Oh wow,” David says, arranging the presents.  “I haven't seen Uncle Pete in forever”. Max awkwardly shifts in place, unsure where he should be or be doing.  Thankfully, David pulls him close and wraps an arm around his waist. Max shivers and immediately becomes simultaneously uncomfortable and yearning at the touch.  David presses a kiss to his cheek. “Take a seat, I’ll be back in a sec,” he whispers, rushing off a moment later after Ginger to the kitchen.

 

Max rolls his shoulders, feeling so out of his own element that he does what David says without complaint.  The second he sits down, Pretzel meanders into the room and gives Max a happy blink. “Hey,” Max says slowly.   _ You fucking moron, you’re talking to a dog. _

 

Pretzel wags her tail once and hops up on the couch next to him, pushing closer to him.  Max leans away subconsciously. Did David’s mom let their dog on the couch? While he was caught in his dilemma, Pretzel decided to make herself at home on him, sprawling across his lap.  “Seriously?” Max grumbles, glaring down at the dog.

 

Pretzel rolls and sticks her paws straight into the air as if she were an upside-down table.  Max can see a little red patch curling down to her tummy that is as splattered with red freckling as the rest of her.

 

Max sighs, feeling his annoyance drain tiredly from him.   _ You know what?  Fuck it. This may as well happen. _  He’s too damn uncomfortable and tired to be irritated at an old dog trying to get some belly rubs.

 

He pats the pooch.

 

The weight and warmth of the soft dog was a small comfort in its own way, and Pretzel opens her mouth and lets her tongue hang out grossly as Max rubs her belly.  He hears the door open and feels the hound dog strain to raise her head to see the guest without compromising her belly-rubbing position and lets out a bark, tail thumping against the couch.

 

Max entertains himself, boredly messing with Pretzel, poking her paws and patting her belly.  Finally, David returns with three men and Henry, all of them ginger. The guy with a massive beard that looks like he listens to Neutral Milk Hotel while he beats his meat laughs and says to Max, “Looks like she trapped you huh?  That happened to me last year. If you don’t move her, she’ll just pin you for the rest of the night. You’ll just end up sleeping there”. He picks at his horrifically ugly Christmas sweater featuring far too many cats.

 

Max blinks.  The other next to him that looks like he probably was made of white Wonder bread and was in every sports club in high school responds back, “It’s true, we had to hire a crane to pull her off him”.  He cooes down at Pretzel who wags her tail, tongue lolling happily. “Yes, we did! Yes, we did you fat little monster!”

 

“Close your legs, you hussie!” calls the older man in a jovial tone, fondly looking down at the dog from his tortoiseshell glasses.

 

David laughs.  “This is Bradley,” he introduces, gesturing to NMH guy who grins and gives a wave.  “Caleb,” he points to the Captain Wonder Bread, “And that’s my Uncle Pete!”

 

“Howdy,” Pete replies with a grin.

 

That’s about as far as Max can hold himself, and ends up mindlessly petting Pretzel for a rather long time, absently listening to David and his relatives banter and cuff each other fondly over the ears.  Max grits his teeth through it all, trying to feel comfortable in the strange, otherworldly situation of being in a calm environment around relatives. Even after they leave, Max still finds himself restless on Ginger’s couch with David’s arm wrapped around him while they watch shitty Christmas specials, and as helpful as Pretzel’s sleepy drool puddle on his pants is, it doesn’t help nearly enough.

 

Rescue comes in the form of an empty eggnog carton.

 

“Aw, we’re all out!” pouts Ginger, sadly shaking the last into the third glass she’s poured.  She hands him and David the glasses and Max takes it gratefully. “Sorry boys, I guess we won’t have any tomorrow for french toast”.

 

“Aw, what the heeeeee- heck?” says Henry, who was seemingly about to say something profane before changing his mind.

 

David makes a small disappointed noise in the back of his throat, and if that wasn’t an excuse, Max didn’t know what was and he wasn’t going to look a deus ex machina in the eggnog.  “I’ll run for it,” he says, pushing Pretzel off and onto David, both of whom let out a whine.

 

Ginger gives him big doe eyes that he now sees are genetic.  “Aw, you sure? It’s fine, I’d hate to be a bother”.

 

Max shakes his head, already on his way to his boots.  “Nah, it's fine. I don’t give a shit. We like, just passed a store on the way here”.

 

“Well, if you’re sure,” she says kindly, holding out his coat for him.  “Oh! Wait a moment!” She rushes off and a moment later is handing him a neatly wrapped package, David behind her.  He takes it, unbalanced even further. “Here, we always open a present on the Eve!”

 

Max holds the squishy package, unnerved.  “You- You didn’t have to get me anything, you know,” he says dryly.

 

“Aw, I know sugar,” says Ginger, smiling.  “But I just wanted to make you feel welcome, and well, you’re one of us now, you know”.  Max grinds his teeth to keep from opening his mouth because he’s certain that if he opens it, he’s going to cuss out this nice middle-aged southern belle mom that just handed him a fucking gift that he didn’t even really expect nor deserve.  “Go on!” she says. “Open it!”

 

Max opens the gift with trembling hands, revealing a pair of thick mittens.  The palm was a soft black leather and the rest was a nice blue and green plaid.  The tops seemed to flip up so you could use your fingers. Max’s mouth went dry.

 

“David said you didn’t have much in the way of winter wear, so I thought you might need them!”  Her smile faltered at Max’s carefully blank expression. “Do you like them?”

 

Max grimaced, trying to find a way to express himself.  He ended up putting them on while nodding with a bitchy look on his face, barely forcing the words, “They’re fine,” out of his mouth, audibly.

 

“That means he likes them,” chirps David from the door, and Max has to fight himself not to throw the barstool through the window.

 

“I gotta go,” Max says loudly, already out the door and pulling out his keys.

 

He doesn’t hear much of what is said behind him, only pushes out into the snow and drives exactly the speed limit all the way to the store.  He grinds his teeth the whole way and turns the radio up as loud as the shitty thing can go. The bass is crackling, but its distracting enough for him.

 

Max pulls into the back of the store, and after keeping it together for the entirety of the hellish ten-minute ride, Max crumbles into dust and starts to sob.  “FUCK!” he screams at nothing, bashing his hands into the dashboard, one hitting the wheel and the car lets out a small honk. “FUCK!” he shouts again, entire body shaking and overstimulated.  He wipes his eyes, suddenly realizing the gloves were on his hands still, wiping the tears away and onto the soft woolen fabric. He growls and hiccups, pulling them off pathetically fumbling and tossing them onto the passenger’s seat.

 

It seems even his crisis moments aren’t sacred to the universe, because a few moments later his phone rings and he scrambles to answer.  He holds it in his hands a moment, quickly wiping his eyes and sniffling grossly. He’s sure he looks a mess, but he only needs to look the part.

 

_ “Bitches ain’t shit but hoes and tricks. _

_ Lick on these nuts and suck a-” _

 

Max clicks the answer button.  “Yeah, David?”

 

_ “Hey, handsome!” _ David answers, giggling.   _ “Just checking in!  Things are slowing down here, and I’m just…  I’m really glad you came. I know this is probably lame and stupid to you, so I’m glad you’re behaving and at least like… pretending you care,” _ David says, voice soft in the phone.   _ “Unless you’re not pretending!  But you did seem really quiet tonight and-  Ok, I’m being dumb right now, but I’m still glad you came”. _

 

Max breathes deeply a moment, steadying himself to respond smoothly enough.  “Yeah I’m- Yeah, I’m great,” Max says, looking up to the blinking neon liquor sign.

 

_ “Really?” _

 

Max looks at the floor of the dirty car and down at his hands, suddenly aware he’s in the parking lot of a corner store.  “Super”.

 

_ “Max-”  _ David begins but is soon cut off by a woman’s voice and David is back.   _ “Ok, we’ll talk when you get back, but Ma wants to talk to you, so here she is.  Love you! See you soon!” _

 

The phone crackles before Max can respond.   _ “Hey there, stranger!” _ Ginger cheers.

 

“Hi,” says Max cautiously.

 

_ “So,” _ she begins.   _ “Now that I’m alone, I want you to know that we actually have eggnog in the basement fridge.  What kind of ding dong doesn’t get extra eggnog?” _ she scoffs.

 

“Than what the fuck am I doing-” he snaps, the building frustration frothing just at the surface.

 

Ginger shushes him patiently.   _ “Now you calm down young man!  I sent you out for a reason, but that reason was not nog!  Listen, you seem like a decent man, and I’m very glad that you’re with my son.  I just thought you seemed a little overwhelmed, so feel free to drive around for a bit on the main roads to clear your head.  Sometimes the cold air helps clear the head”. _

 

Max swallows.  He forces a breath.  “Is that it?”

 

_ “I just thought you might be more comfortable with me talking over the phone to you.  David said you were a bit shy,”  _ she replied.

 

“David needs to keep his damn mouth shut,” he grumbles.

 

Ginger laughs.   _ “Oh, young man, you have no idea!  He called me all the time in the summer.  It was always, ‘Oh Ma, you’ll never guess what Max did today!’ or, ‘Max said the silliest thing today!’  He absolutely adores you, you know”. _

 

Max couldn’t keep the fondness from his tone.  “Yeah. I… I love him too”.

 

Ginger sighs.   _ “Well, you have my blessing young man.  Be good to my baby or I’ll trample you into the dirt with my horse”. _

 

“Somehow, the fact that you have a horse isn’t surprising”.

 

Ginger laughs and it’s quiet a moment.  Max swallows.

 

“I-” he begins, but breaks off.  “I want to get David something really special,” Max says, squeezing the wheel in his hand.  “Something that says commitment”.

 

Ginger is silent a moment.   _ “Well,” _ she begins slowly.   _ “Davey’s always been a fan of the outdoors and music- maybe you could get him something like that!  Oh! Frogs! Davey loves frogs!” _

 

Max frowns incredulously.  “Frogs?”

 

_ “Yeah!  He once tried to keep a clutch of tadpoles in the bathroom as pets when he was little!  It was quite the surprise when I went for a bath that night, only to find it full of tadpoles!” _

 

Max breaks into peals of laughter at the thought of a tiny David filling the bathtub with tiny baby frogs.  Yeah, he could see that.

 

Actually, that gives him an idea.

 

He hangs up moments later and walks into the corner store.  “Hey, can I get some directions?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Ginger, she's based off my friend's mom who used to babysit me when I was younger


	31. Bitch's First Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The most wonderful time of the year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to MissWrite for leaving comments on basically everything I write. bless you!
> 
> A second shout out to campcoward on tumblr for their new comic! So glad you're making art for everyone, and I couldn't be happier for you!
> 
> And a third shout out to handsomeaxe, who gave me my first donation on Ko-Fi! Thank you so much sweetie!

A stack of french toast is passed to Max by Henry, who looked as equally sleep ridden as Max.  “Good morning Max! Merry Christmas!” Ginger chirped behind him, setting down her mug of coffee next to him.

 

Max murmured an agreeing greeting, only looking up when a tall, gangly man with dark skin walked out of the kitchen with a plate of his own.  “Oh! You must be Max!” he chirped happily, extending a hand. “I’m Sean! Ginger’s boyfriend! I came by a while after you went to bed, I suppose.  Ginger said the boys were being a bit rowdy, huh?”

 

Max frowned but shook the hand, giving him a nod.  He glanced at David next to him who leaned in closer, an oddly pained smile on his face.  “Hi, Sean. Merry Christmas,” his boyfriend said politely with a slightly strained tone.

 

Sean smiled happily.  “Good to see you again, David!”

 

As breakfast finished Max grabbed the plates and took them to the dishwasher, before being startled by Ginger bringing their coffee mugs in to be refilled, a giant book under her arm.  “Thank you for putting those away, dear, but I just remembered! Now that my boy has a boyfriend, I can break out the embarrassing baby photos!”

 

“Aw, Ma!  Come on!” David whines from the dining room, leaning in through the doorway.

 

Max raises an eyebrow in amusement.  “Oh, hell yeah. Show me the blackmail photos,” he snickers, shuffling the dishes away quickly and drying his hands.

 

David whined a protest, but soon came closer to lean over the book with them.  “You better not show him the whole book, Ma, Max doesn’t really care about this stuff”.

 

She waves her hand.  “Don’t worry, I just wanted to show him a couple!  Like the first one I got of you!” she says, pointing to the very first photo, a blurry ultrasound scan.  “I was so excited, I could have burst that day!” she gushes, sighing happily down at the picture. “He was such a little miracle.  Did you know-”

 

“Ma…” David says with a warning.

 

“-That David was my sixth pregnancy?” she crows proudly, finishing without a care.

 

“Are you fucking serious?!” he says with a start.  Who the fuck could survive being pregnant  _ six fucking times _ ?!

 

“Sure was!  There were… complications all the other times I tried to get pregnant,” Ginger says, suddenly sobering.  “But he pulled through! I was really worried, but he came out perfect! No problems dilating at all, and he didn’t have any health issues or anything!”

 

“She tells everyone this,” David says shaking his head, cheeks red.  “She just loves to embarrass me”.

 

She flipped several pages past.  “That’s my job!” she chirps, pointing down at a new one where David was a toddler now with his signature fluffy ginger hair.  Ginger held him, waving at the camera with a grin. Behind them, a dark horse with white marks on its haunches sniffed curiously at the baby David.  “And there’s Davey and me with my old man, Mountain Dew!”

 

Max spat his coffee back into the cup.  “Old man,  _ who?! _ ”

 

Ginger giggled.  “Mountain Dew! You know?  Like the soda pop! I thought it was funny!”

 

Max smacked his hand over his face.  “You can’t just fucking- Why the- Ugh, nevermind, fuck it.  Mountain Dew, the horse. Sure. I fucking guess”.

 

“Ginger!  Do you want to open presents soon?” Sean asked from the doorway.  “Oh, and do you mind if I borrow David for a hot second? I’ve been meaning to ask him something”.

 

“Oh sure, go ahead, sweetheart!  Ain’t no thing!” she says, shooing David off.  “We’ll be there in just a few!” She peers after them, only moving on with a hushed voice when David is gone.  “Okay, I’ve got a  _ really _ good one but he hates it, so keep it a secret, okay?”

 

Max nods cautiously, not wanting any more Mountain Dews.  Ginger grins and flips a few pages past and opens to an average sized picture and points.  Max feels his jaw drop. Tears start forming with the effort to stifle his laughter at the ridiculous photo.

 

“Isn’t he just  _ so _ cute?!”

 

In it was David in a bright blue and green raincoat with cartoon frog faces on the pockets, matching frog muck boots that looked like frogs, a green umbrella with pop-up frog eyes and smile.  He was young, with a wide, proud smile splitting puppy-fat lined cheeks and in his hands was the biggest frog Max had ever seen.

 

It was the most hilarious thing he’d ever seen.

 

And it was  _ very _ David.

 

“Holy  _ shit, _ ” he whispered, hiccuping with the effort to hold back his laughter.

 

“I know!  He’s just the cutest, isn’t he?” Ginger gushes.  “He was just so cute in his little frog coat! Best money I ever spent, God knows”.

 

Max coughs out laughter, sure his face is red with the effort and tries to regulate his breathing but it’s  _ so hard. _  “God fucking dammit, can you send a copy of that to me?”

 

Ginger’s eyes gleam.  “Absolutely!” she says with a wide grin.

 

Max grins sharply back, turning to the doorway to see Sean and David returned.  Sean has a wide smile on his face and asked, “Ready?”

 

They nod and David quickly takes Max’s hand, pulling him to the side.  “Hey, Maxie, come here! I want to show you something!”

 

“Sure, but don’t call me tha- hey!” he protests, David pulling him harshly down the hall and through a door.  Max pulled his face away from a dusty coat and tried to pull away from a pair of boxes when David slammed the door.  “David, what the hell!?”

 

“He’s going to propose!” David says in a rush, his face twisted in panic.  His hands clutch Max’s shoulders harshly. “He’s going to propose soon!”

 

“Who?” Max asked, hands on David’s wrists, pushing them away.  “Sean?”

 

“Yes!” David whisper-cries, hands fisted in his hair like he may tear it out.  “I don’t know what to do! He asked for my blessing and I panicked and agreed!”

 

“Why would you not give him his blessing?” Max asks slowly.

 

“Because he’s not right for her, Max!” David hisses.  “He’s a pharmacist, she teaches horseback riding- it doesn’t make any sense!  My mom is way too cool for him!”

 

“Yeah, people are different, David.  That’s how the universe works. I mean, look at us”.  Max snorts. “Besides, your mom named a horse Mountain Dew.  I don’t think she’s too ‘cool’ for anything”.

 

“Shut up!” David snaps, hugging himself with his face twisted in panic.  “Just because you don’t care about your mom doesn’t mean I don’t care about mine!”

 

Max raises his hands and backs into a coat with narrowed eyes.  “Whoa- hold the fuck up- It is not  _ my fucking fault  _ you’re having a panic attack right now.  I’m not your fucking punching bag, David”.

 

David flinches and pulls back.  “I’m sorry! I’m… I’m sorry- I just- I don’t know what to do!  This is- I just never thought they’d actually get together- _ together _ !”  David sighs.  “I shouldn’t have said that; I didn’t mean it”.

 

Max watches David slide to the floor and sighs.  “Why’s it such a big deal if your mom gets married or not?  She likes him, right?” he asks, ignoring the statement. 

 

“Well, it’s just-  I don’t know! I just didn’t think she’d date him this long or that they’d like each other this much.  And then one week turned into two months, and then that turned into a year, and then that turned into five, and now it’s looking like it’s going to turn into the rest of her life!  What if she has to get another divorce? She was crushed when my dad left”.

 

Max shrugs, sliding down next to him.  “Then she gets another divorce. It happens.  She’ll be just fine, Davey”. Max sighs and nudges him.  “Look, everything’s going to be fine. You’re worrying over nothing.  Do you have a problem with Sean?”

 

David turns away.  “W-Well, no, he’s-” he sighs.  “He’s a good guy. He really likes Ma a lot," he admits.

 

“Then you’ve got nothing to worry about”.  Max says, rising back up. “Right?”

 

David silently looks down at the ugly carpeting of the closet, then looks up, face still nervous.  “I guess you’re right,” he replies with a small smile. “I really am sorry I said that. I didn’t mean it at all, I promise!  I was just panicking,” he says, rubbing his sweater collar. “N-Not to excuse it! I just meant-”

 

“It’s fine, I get it,” Max says, pushing the door open.  “Let’s just go”.

 

“Max?”

 

“Yeah?” he asks.

 

“I…  I love you,” David says, as though it were a reassurance to both himself and Max.

 

He rolls his eyes and nudges his boyfriend with his shoulder.  “Love you too, asshole”.

 

“Hurry up, jerks!  Present time!” Henry calls from the floor in front of the tree.

 

“Yeah, jerks!” Ginger giggles from her shared lazyboy with Sean.

 

David pulls Max by the hand to the couch and curls up close to him, Max shivering at the touch and wrapping an arm around him as Henry passed out gifts.  To Max’s surprise, an unfamiliar bag was pushed into his lap by Henry. “That’s from me!” said Ginger from the left. “It’s to go with the gloves”.

 

“You know you didn’t have to, right?” Max says, cautiously pulling out the tissue paper to reveal a matching blue and green plaid scarf to go with the gloves.  Deeper down were a few skeins of an inexpensive but soft yarn that he frequently used.

 

“Well, sure, but I wanted to!  Davey helped me with the yarn… I didn’t want to get the wrong kind- I don’t know a damn thing about knitting- but he sent me a picture of the label and I found it!  Do you like them?” she asks eagerly.

 

Max nods.  “Yeah they’re-  thanks,” he says dumbly, suddenly very aware of how emotionless his face is, but unable to form a smile.  He feels awkward and shuffles under David’s weight.

 

Max is handed another package by David, who smiles brightly at him.  “Here! We can open ours together!” he says, holding a familiarly wrapped package he recognized as his own gift to David.

 

He nodded and a kind of nervousness filled him as he anxiously unwrapped his gift, watching David do the same, though with an insatiable excitement.  

 

David squealed happily, pulling out the ugliest, softest blanket Max had ever knit.  It was a variegated mesh of horribly oversaturated primary colors, the main of which being piss yellow.  “Oh, Max! It’s so soft! And  _ really _ warm too!  Aw, I love it!”

 

“That is the ugliest thing I’ve ever fucking seen,” Henry said, in awe.  “I’m stealing it”.

 

David gasped, clutching the ugly thing to his chest.  “You most certainly are not! Get your own!”

 

Max chuckled and finally finished opening his gift from David, revealing a large set of interchangeable wooden circular needles in a neat plain blue case.  “David, holy shit,” he whispers, looking down at them. He picked them up reverently, barely believing his eyes.

 

“Do you like them?” his boyfriend asks eagerly.  “I saw you on your laptop looking at them, and you never sign out of your account for that site, and…  Is it the right kind?”

 

“David, holy shit,” he repeats.  It’s all he can say. “I- Thank you, this is-  Yes,” he replies with a disbelieving and breathy laugh.  “ _ Yes _ , it’s the right kind, I can’t believe you got this for me!  These are  _ really fucking nice ass needles, _ David!”

 

David grinned happily.  “Well, there’s more! Look a little further down!” he says.

 

“Well, that makes two of us.  There’s something in the bottom of yours too”.

 

David squealed excitedly, leaning in to look at the bottom of the box as Max did the same to his own.  At the bottom of his, was a small jar of some kind of… salt? And a strange candle. Alright, a little less cool.

 

“Aw!  You made a tinier one!” David cries happily.  “I love it!”

 

Max snorts.  “It’s a bandana, dumbass,” he replies with no small amount of snark.  “You keep messing with your neck like you expect your old shirt to be there, so I got you something else”.

 

David lets out a happy noise, tying it around his neck.  “How does it look?”

 

“Like you have something on your neck,” Max says, deadpan.  He couldn’t resist the small smile that formed on his lips, though.

 

David smiles down at the thin bandana.  “Wow! The stitching is really interesting!  What kind is it? It looks complicated!” he asks.

 

“It’s just herringbone,” Max says.  “It’s not that hard, just takes a long-ass time”.

 

“Oh Davey, that’s lovely!  May I see?” Ginger asks from the side, and David pulls it off and throws it to her.

 

“Do you like yours?” David asks, grinning happily, handing a large bone down to a drooling Pretzel who had come in at the sound of all the excitement and quickly wandered off to chew her new prize.

 

“Going to be honest, but I have no idea what the hell it is,” Max says, holding up the candle and salt.

 

“It’s lavender Epsom salts!” David says cheerily.  “And a massage candle! I thought maybe I could… you know… treat you some time,” David says shyly.  “Maybe later tonight?”

 

Max swallows.  “I’ll try anything once,” he says.  He honestly didn’t really care about bathing or getting a massage (the thought of David’s hands on his back and neck made his stomach turn, actually).  He figured he could suck it up just this once, though.

 

Max noticed a few moments later when Sean slowly lured Ginger away from the scene and gave David a happy thumbs up.  David stared a moment, heaved a long sigh, and returned the smile with a nod

 

When Ginger returned a few moments later, crying with happiness and wearing a new ring, Max only stood by David and held his hand on his boyfriend’s back as he hugged his mother.  Their hands were quickly rejoined and felt David nuzzle into his neck. 

 

“Feel okay?” he whispers, watching Ginger continually cheer and hang onto Sean, who also couldn’t stop laughing and kissing his fiance’s cheeks.

 

David sighed.  “Yeah. I’ll be okay,” he says into Max’s neck.  “I’m… happy for them,” he begrudgingly sighs. “They are very sweet”.

  
  


 

* * *

 

  
  
  


Max could feel himself slowly worn down.  Jesus Christ, he hadn't felt this drained in years.  Why the hell did he have to date an extrovert? He'd have had an easier time dating a dog with rabies.  At least he'd die quicker than the slow melting of his internal organs that was known as ‘meeting the family of your boyfriend’s at a Christmas party’.

 

“Hey, Davey!” Ginger said, pulling her coat on.  “We were just about to party hop to the Gresh’s! Coming along?”

 

David smiled excitedly.  “That sounds-” David pauses looking to Max and his eyes flickered.  “Actually, I think I'm good to stay home,” he declares with a smaller smile, pulling Max close.

 

Henry blinked from behind her.  “Really? You don't want to come?”

 

Sean shushed him with a sly grin.  “We’ll see you later then,” he replies with a wink, nudging the other two Hollys out the door.

 

“I’m surprised you didn’t want to go,” Max says, hearing the door shut.

 

“Well,” David edges, waving goodbye from the window. “I was maybe hoping we could just… relax a bit together tonight?  Just the two of us?”

 

Max heaved a sigh.  “You know you didn’t have to stay behind for me, right?” he says, setting their empty hot cocoa mugs in the sink.

 

“Sure,” he says in return, hugging around Max’s waist and pressing a kiss to his neck.  “But I wanted to”. His hot breath on his neck makes Max’s hands clench on the sink’s edge, muscles tense under his hoodie.  “Besides, it’s been a while since we did something together…”

 

Max laughs quietly, feeling David nuzzle him.  “You want to use my gift, don’t you?”

 

“Please?” he asks hopefully, kissing Max’s neck with a smile.  “I promise you’ll like it!”

 

Max sighs.  “Yeah, alright.  I’m not going to turn down you doing something for me, especially if it means I don’t have to do anything”.

 

David springs off in a flash and rushes away.  “I’ll start the water!” he cheers.

 

Max sighs to himself, shaking his head.  

  
  
  


* * *

 

  
  
  


“What, I just get in?”

 

“Yeah!”

 

Max frowns, looking down at the aromatic bathwater, stained an odd purple from the salts, some bubbles foamed at the surface.  “What the hell is in this?”

 

David chuckles.  “It’s just the salts and some soap!  Come on, just get in so I can open my eyes and clean you!”

 

Max barks out a laugh.  “You have literally had my dick in you, why are you covering your eyes?”

 

“Just get in!” he squeaks, face flushed.

 

Max slowly slips into the hot water, hissing through his teeth.  “Is this some kind of kink or what?”

 

“No!  I mean- I don’t think it is?”  David sighs. “Are you in yet?”

 

“Yeah, I’m in,” he replies, easing down further, his legs hanging out over the edge.

 

David opens his eyes and chuckles when Max flicks water at him with a frown.  “Feel good?” he asks eagerly.

 

“Yeah, it’s fine,” he says stiffly, trying to find a comfortable way to sit, a bit awkward.  Was he supposed to do something?

 

“I’m going to wash your hair, is that okay?” his boyfriend asks behind him, a small noise like soap being pumped from a bottle.  Max frowns but nods. David carefully tips Max’s head back with a hand on his chin and pours hot water down his hair, avoiding his boyfriend’s eyes with the deluge.  Max watches David, who has a curiously concentrated face. 

 

His head is tipped back up and he’s leaned back against the small bathing cushion.  “I’m going to be honest,” Max says in the oddly quiet room, “I’ve never seen a fucking bath pillow.  Or a bathtub this big, for that matter”.

 

David presses soapy fingers into Max’s hair, massaging the foam into his scalp.   _ Okay, I kinda get it now.  This is pretty nice, _ he thinks to himself.  “Well, Mom always liked this sort of thing, and it was one of the things she looked for after I moved out and she wanted a change of pace”.

 

Max hums, finding himself slowly winding down.  “What… What’s the salt do?” he asks, feeling a bit looser than before.

 

“It’s supposed to help relax muscles,” he says behind him quietly.  “Are you feeling fine? You sound kind of strange”.

 

Max gives a small affirming, pleased noise and tips his head back to smile at David upside down.  He giggles in return at what Max is sure is a dopey smile on his face. “Shit, maybe this is  _ my _ kink,” he says, pulling his legs in.  “You really know how to make a bitch feel special on Christmas, huh Davey?”

 

David giggles a second time, teal eyes sparkling in amusement.  “Move your head dingus, I’m rinsing you,” he says.

 

Max huffs a laugh and leans back so David can dump a large cupful of water over his soapy hair, rinsing it out.  He sighs, David pulling him back up and rubbing another, thicker liquid into his hair. “The hell is that?” he mumbles.

 

“Conditioner,” David replies.  “Hope you don’t mind smelling like mint.  It’s all we have”.

 

Max snorts and settles back down into the hot water.  Hell, this was miles above hot showers. If he’d known he’d relax this much, he would have done this shit ages ago.  He sighs, remembering all the hot showers he’d used to take for the comfort in the absence of touch. He’s got to admit, this is a  _ lot _ nicer.  He feels David tilt his head again and follows the movement, feeling the water rush over him.  As soon as the water runs clean, David wraps his arms around him, bare from his tank top. He feels a kiss press to his cheek.  “Ready to get out?” he whispers.

 

Max groans in denial, wanting to stay in the now lukewarm water a bit longer, even if it was cooling quickly.

 

David chuckles breathily behind him.  “Come on, I was going to use that massage candle on you,” he coaxes, rubbing his cheek against Max’s wet one.  “Please? It’ll feel great, I promise”.

 

Max sighs, reluctantly standing slowly, David handing him a towel, eyes firmly on the door to Max’s amusement.  He dried himself with slow movements, feeling strangely relaxed from the hot water. All he wanted to do now was lay in bed and doze for fifty years if he was completely honest.

 

He pulls on the pair of soft pajama pants David handed him and stumbled to the guest bedroom, flopping onto the bed with a huge sigh.  He felt like his limbs were full of lead, as if he were sinking into the mattress.

 

“Have you ever had a massage before?” David asks, blowing out the candle.

 

Max gives a small noise of denial, too relaxed to say anything snarky at the moment.  His entire body felt warm and cozy. He feels David’s weight sink onto the bed, his knees on either side of his hips.  He feels a few muscles in his back twitch but otherwise stays still at the touch.

 

“Just relax,” David says above him.  He feels the warm oil drip onto his back, making him shiver.  “It’ll feel real nice, but tell me if you want me to stop, okay?”

 

Max makes a small noise of confirmation that turns into a groan when David’s hands rub the oil up and down his bare back.  He heaves a heavy sigh, David’s hands kneading out the knotted muscles in his shoulders.

 

“Wow, your back is really messed up, sweetie…  I’m going to have to take you to my chiropractor”.  

 

“Mmm,  _ fuck- _  I don’ trus’ quacks, Davey…” he slurs, having difficulty keeping a clear head under David’s hands.  If he thought David just touching him was intense, this was a goddamn religious experience. Everything felt soft and hazy through the veil of calm with David’s knuckles pressing into him.  He hums happily in his daze when David rubs up and down his bicep, taking a hand and moving all the way down to his fingers, kneading the palm and fingers before moving to the other. Curiously, David rolled Max’s PJ pants legs up and kneaded his calves, rubbing more massage oil on.  Max sighs, entire body loose and feeling calmer than he’d ever felt in his dumbass life.

 

Soon, David is rubbing his back again, Max making small noises under him.  He smiles into the pillow, David shifting behind him. “Max?” Max gives an inquiring hum, a little too relaxed to care to form sentences.  His entire body felt like goo. “Can I…? Do you want to…?” he curiously runs a hand up the curve of Max’s ass in inquiry.

 

Max can’t help the chuckle that escapes him.  “So this  _ is _ a kink for you,” he teases, voice a rasp.

 

David splutters behind him in embarrassment.  He’s sure that if he could find the energy to open his eyes and look behind him, David’s cheeks would be that pretty shade of pink he loved.  “It isn’t-! Do you want to or not?” he sulks.

 

Max heaves a sigh and pushes back against the hand on his ass.  “You’re going to have to do all the work- I don’t think I can move,” he slurs, movements strange and slow.

 

David rolls his thumbs against Max’s lower back.  “That sounds nice,” he whispers, and Max feels him press a kiss between his shoulder blades forcing a shiver down his spine.  He steals a pillow from next to Max’s head and gently pulls his hips up with an arm. Setting them back down, David slowly kisses down his back to the edge of his pants, pulling them down and off his legs.  “Still fine?” he hears David ask, the slight rustle of fabric behind him letting him know David was undressing.

 

Max finds the strength to turn his head, blearily eyeing David behind him.  Smooth muscles catching dim light from the hallway, a familiar bottle in his hands.  He gives a small smirk. “Hurry up, babe. Don’t leave me waiting”.

 

He sees David grin behind him an closes his eyes contentedly once again.  David’s fingers teasingly squeeze his ass cheeks, rolling along his thigh muscles and back.  He feels David press a lubed finger to his hole, nudging cautiously.

 

Max growls.  “Hurry  _ up, _ ” he repeats breathily, hips wiggling impatiently.

 

David chuckles and presses his first two fingers in, stretching and stroking his insides.  He feels himself sigh, David nudging his legs further apart. He strokes long and languidly, opening him slowly.  He sighs into the pillows, letting out an embarrassing whine when David presses down into a spot that has him seeing stars.  

 

“Davey, come  _ on, _ ” he whines, glaring behind him not without feeling.

 

David looks absolutely starstruck, eyes glazed and fixed on him.  He startles from his reverence and looks up, face flushed. “Are you sure?  I’ve barely stretched you,” he says, pushing a third in and twisting them, breath catching in his lungs.

 

Max can’t find air for a few moments, David’s fingers flexing and stroking him, his own cock hard against the inside of his thigh.  “Fucking Hell,  _ hurry up, _ ” he pleads, voice cracking.  He pants, gritting his teeth against the intense feeling.

 

Finally, David mercifully pulls his fingers from him.  He hears foil tear, presumably a condom, and presses his cock against him, David’s form laying on his back.  Max shivers, David’s chest pressed to his back, lips on his neck. He sighs against the pillow, his muscles twitching against the contact, desperate for more.  He finally feels David slide into him, stretching him open.

 

“Oh, Max,” he hears David sigh behind him.  He doesn’t understand much else beyond his name, lost in the sweet press of David’s hips against his ass, entire body folded around him.  He feels entirely loose and comfortable, smooth thrusts into him a dull pleasure in his gut. David folds his arms under his hips, pistoning a little quicker, Max’s breathing erratic.  David raises Max’s hips slightly off the pillow with an arm, Max loose and relaxed against the arm. “Oh, you feel wonderful”.

 

Max laughs breathily, a moan catching in his throat when David picks up speed a bit.  He hooks his arm behind him, turning his shoulders heavily to roll an arm around David’s neck.  He grins widely, eyes half-lidded at his boyfriend. “Really know how to make me feel special, huh?  What a freak,” he teases.

 

David’s mouth catches on his in an open-mouthed kiss, cock pressing deep into him.  “I- I guess I’m just a romantic,” he pants, laughing a bit. He nuzzles closer to Max.

 

Max’s breath caught in his throat with a particularly hard thrust aimed at his sweet spot.  “Or maybe,” he growls, pulling David down so he was pressed back against him as close as he could be.  “You’re just a  _ freak _ ”.

 

David came with a high whine, thighs pressed hard to Max’s.  His moans swept across his ears like his breath, and twice as hot.  He grinned, nipping playfully at his bottom lip and watching as he came back to himself slowly, teal eyes hazy in the dark.  “S- Sorry… I came kinda fast…”

 

Max snorts in amusement, flopping to the back of the bed.  “Come on,  _ sport _ , You’re not going to leave me hanging, are you?”  He writhes against the bed, twisting his hips around so his hardness is between them.  David’s eyes light up and he presses deeper, a hand around Max’s length. His head tips back and he feels his face break into a grin.  “ _ Yes _ ,” he hisses out, lightening up his spine.

 

“I love you so much,” David whispers like a prayer  “You’re so gorgeous, so sweet-” David pushes into him, hips stuttering with overstimulation but unwilling to give up.  “I love you, I love you,” he murmurs like a prayer into his ear.

 

He comes with a gasp, David’s arms wrapped around him.  “I love you too”.

 

He can’t wait until tomorrow to show David even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've made a Ko-Fi, and if anyone could donate, it would be a real help with my move while i look for a job! here's the link: https://ko-fi.com/A0A6B34V Thanks so much for sticking with me this long!
> 
> sorry if this seems too wordy or a little off, i wrote a lot of it late at night, because i wasn't feeling too hot this week.
> 
> also, that picture of davey with a frog raincoat is based off that stock photo of the kid in the matching raincoat, boots and umbrella. you know the one.
> 
> Mountain Dew (the horse) is an appaloosa! which is my favorite breed! they're such good tempered babies i love them


	32. Sleep In The Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David gets a surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title taken from the PUP song of the same name.

“I’m glad we could stay so long,” David says, tossing his backpack into the back seat of the car.  He stretches up and Max impulsively looks down at the small bit of stomach revealed for a split moment.  “But gosh, I’m so glad to be going back home”. David smiles a bit and grabs Max by his belt loops playfully, pressing a long kiss to his lips.  Max smirks into it and wraps his fingers around his boyfriend’s hips in return, nipping mischievously at his bottom lip. David squeaks delightedly and presses more kisses against Max’s cheeks, nose, brow, and everything else he could before Max started to grumble and shove him away.  David laughs and blows a raspberry against Max’s hand. His boyfriend giggles, hopping into the passenger seat and Max starts the car. “I’m so excited for it to be the two of us again," he says with a pleased sigh.

 

Max quirked his lips.  “Yeah… about that…” David looks up, slight dismay mingling with confusion.

 

“What do you mean?” he asks.  Max hums, smirking. He turned onto a paved road.  “Max, darlin', you’re going the wrong way, the camp is south”.  Max could hear the blatant confusion in his voice and it only made him more excited, the emotion tinged with anxiety.

 

“We aren’t going back to camp just yet, smartass,” he answered smugly.

 

David turns to him curiously.  “Wait… what’s going on?”

 

Max sighs.  “Okay, so, I didn’t want to say anything the other night  _ but… _ ” Max draws out the silence, debating on actually spilling the beans now.  “I  _ kinda maybe _ still have another Christmas present to give you”.

 

David’s eyes lit up and sparkled.  “You  _ didn’t _ _!_ ” He whispered, a wide grin spreading.

 

“Sure did”.

 

David flings himself over, seatbelt restraining his enthusiasm only slightly.  “Oh, Max! Thank you so much! You didn’t have to!” he cries. Max narrowly avoids swerving into another lane.  He’s glad there are so few people on the road this morning. “What is it?! No, wait, don’t tell me, I want it to be a surprise!  Never mind, what is it?! Oh gosh, I’m so excited!” David wiggles in his seat happily like a wriggling puppy.

 

Max laughs.  “Don’t worry, we’re almost there.  Quit squirming, you little shit, you’ll ruin the seats even more in this already shitty car”.

 

David turned to him the second they pulled in to their destination.  His mouth hung open and Max grinned back at the astonished and delighted look.  “You did  _ not _ ”.

 

Max grinned wider.  “I did,” he admitted, unbuckling.  David threw himself across the car and pressed a hard kiss to his lips, wrapping his arms tight around him.  Max startled and gasped. David was smiling so hard into each kiss that their teeth clacked painfully a few times.  “Come on, let’s not keep her waiting”.

 

“ _ Her?! _ ”  David squeaks.  Max thinks his ears are ringing, but he’s too damn smug to care at the moment.

 

“Yeah, remember how your mom asked me to go out for more eggnog?  Well, I also stopped here and had a look. Picked her out.  That's why I was taking so long,” Max says, opening the animal shelter’s doors wide open.  David clings to his arm, shaking with emotion and babbling his thanks.

 

The secretary smiles.  “Welcome back. Is this him?”

 

Max grins.  “Yup. Mind If he sees her here?”

 

She grins.  “Not a problem!  Take that room, I’ll have them bring her to you”.

 

Max pulls David to the door and as soon as they’re in, David begins to kiss Max sloppily with excitement.  “Oh my gosh!” he continues to exclaim.

 

“Okay,” Max replies between kisses.  “So I know you said we don’t have room for a dog-” he’s cut off by another kiss.  “-And I’m not really a dog guy anyways, so I went around and found a really good cat-”

 

“You got me a  _ cat?! _ ” David exclaims.  “Max! This is so- I can’t believe you did this!  I love you so much!” He cries out clapping his hands.

 

“You excited?” he asks rhetorically, sitting in a chair.

 

“I get a kitty!  I get a kitty! My boyfriend is amazing and I love him so much!” David chants, doing a strange wiggle Max thinks is a dance.  Max can’t help but cackle.

 

“Calm down!  She’s coming, you little weirdo!” he says with a laugh.  “You look like you're going to fucking piss yourself”.

 

The door opens to a smiling woman with a holed box and David is upon her almost instantly.  “Hello! Max, right? We met a few days ago”.

 

“Yeah.  You’re Karen?”  She nods. “This is David,” he replies, nudging his boyfriend as he stands.

 

“Is that-?” David asks, voice cracking.

 

Karen grins and sets the box on the fold-out table.  “Yup! Your little gal! Careful, she’s a feisty one!” she replies.  As she speaks, David leans down and a fluffy black and orange mottled paw swipes out through the hole.  David startles but squeals at the sight of her foot.

 

Karen opens the box and pulls out a small, three-legged tortoiseshell cat with fluffy, long fur.  Her bright yellow eyes were wide and full, curiously taking in her surroundings and craning her neck.  David puts his hands over his face. “Do you like her?” Max asks, already knowing the answer.

 

David nods and Max sees tears leak from his red-ringed eyes.  He holds out a hand to the cat and gives a watery smile. “She’s the most amazing gift I’ve ever gotten!”  He sniffles loudly, catching her attention. The cat cranes her neck, sniffing David’s hand with curiosity and then butts her head against it in greeting.  David lets out a breathy laugh. “God, she- she’s so  _ cute _ !  What happened to her leg?”

 

“She came in with a bad infection when she was little.  We had to have it amputated,” Karen interjects, smiling.  “She’s a fighter! Escaped from her cage more than a few times.  We had to walk her with the dogs some days, so she is leash trained”.

 

“She’s so pretty!” David wails, tears pouring from his eyes as the assistant hands her to him.  The little cat wiggles a moment, trying to get comfortable, and eventually settles upright. The tortoiseshell cat looks up at David’s grinning, watery face and raises a paw.  She brings it down right on David’s cheek and pushes against it with her single paw, rolling her head back to peer around the room with round eyes. “Max, I love her!” David sobs, voice cracking from the tears.

 

“Oh my god,” he snickers, trying to contain his amazement at the sight.  “David, come on. You need to put her back in the box so we can take her home”.

 

“I…  I don’t think I can…” he whispers, clutching the cat who begins to wiggle.

 

“Well, I think she’s had enough of you right now,” he says. “Come on, if you put her in the box, you can take her out on the way home, okay?” he coaxes.  David nods wordlessly, reluctantly letting Max take the tripod cat away and setting her wiggling body in the box, closing it in a rush. “Ready? Do you want to carry her?” he asks, David taking her.

 

The second they both get in the car and the doors are closed, David opens the box, the tortoiseshell cat poking her head out with a mewl.  “Max. I love her,” he says plaintively.

 

“I know babe”.

 

“But…  I don’t know if we can keep her”.

 

Max startles, alarms ringing in his head.  “What?! But you just said she was the most amazing gift you’ve ever gotten!”

 

“I know!” he replies, excitement wearing off like a high.  “But… Max, we’re going to be out of jobs soon. How are we going to take care of her?  Oh gosh, we don’t even have any things at home for her…” David stares wistfully at the curious cat who swishes her tail, nosing at the window curiously, paw on the door.

 

Max frowns.  “Well, yeah. That’s kinda why I got her”.  Max sighs and David turns to him, taken aback.  “Look, I’ve still got money in that account that got unlocked.  Whatever happens, I’m not just fucking off and leaving you two alone, okay?  We’re in this together”. Max frowns, anxiety clinging to him like rain, his stomach turning at his words.  He avoids David’s eye.

 

“Max,” David breathes, tone strange.  “I… Okay”. He snaps his attention to David who gives a tentative smile.  “Besides, how could I say no to this little girl?” he cooes, scratching the cat’s cheeks affectionately.  She turns into the touch, pleased.

 

They stop at a pet store on the way home, walking her around it on a new harness and leash (Max had remembered the woman at the shelter telling him she went on walks) and bought a bag of cat food, litter box and litter, food dishes, a few bags of treats, a collar, and some cat toys she seemed to like.

 

“So what are you going to name her?” Max asks when they’re back in the car, David opening a bag of treats and feeding them to the new cat who was almost taking his boyfriend’s fingers off with every excited chomp.

 

“I- Ow!  I don’t know,” David says, breaking off when she bites his fingers with an excited purr, licking her chops after the treat was devoured.  “Something nice”.

 

“Alright, Anthrax,” Max says.

 

“No!” David protests.  “She’s a little lady! We have to give her a pretty name!”  The little cat sneezes and leaves a spray mark against David’s shirt after he closes the treat bag, leaning after the bag.

 

Max snorts.  “Oh, pardon me.  Sharon, then”.

 

“Max, these are really bad names,” David says.

 

The cat paws Max’s hand on the gear shift.  “Neon Genesis Evangelion, stop you ass. I’m trying to drive”.

 

Max pulls into the driveway, the cat purring in David’s lap.  She cranes her neck when they stop, peering out the window. David carries her in with his backpack and some of the supplies, Max grabbing the rest.

 

Max heaves a huge sigh and flops onto the couch, ready to nap for twenty years.  God, he didn’t realize quite how exhausted he was until he hit the couch. He closes his eyes for a moment, dozing.  He’s suddenly startled awake by the feeling of three little paws pressing against his back, heavy with cat-weight. He snorts and turns his head to see the offender, the new addition to the house blinking down at him happily.  She slowly folds down and tucks her paws in, uncaring that she was curled into the shape of a loaf of bread on Max’s back and that he probably needed to get up soon.

 

“Awwww!” David cries, walking in with his hands over his mouth.  “That is so sweet! She likes you!” David walks up and kneels, petting the cat’s head adoringly, the kitty purring happily in response.

 

Max chuckles, feeling the cat shift on his back with each breath.  “Angel Dust, get off me,” he says, voice muffled by the couch.

 

“That’s it!” David cheered, pulling the cat off him, to which she voiced her displeasure with a protesting meow.  “It’s perfect! She’s a little angel, and she has dusty markings! You’re a genius, Max!”

 

Max coughs and breaks into a laughing fit, falling over himself and onto the floor.  “Oh my fucking god, you’re not serious?! That was a joke!”

 

“No, no!  It’s great!  We can call her Angel for short!” he says excitedly, crooning down at the cat, who had given up on not being held.

 

“David, that’s slang for PCP,” he says with a cackle, pulling himself up and onto the couch once again.

 

David gasps, giving him a betrayed look.  “Max! Why would you even suggest that?!”

 

“I told you, it was a joke!”

 

David is quiet a moment, staring down at the relaxing cat, who had taken to pushing on his face with all three of her paws.  “Just Angel, then,” he says decisively.

 

“Oh, no,” Max says, flipping to his back.  “You can’t just take  _ half  _ my name suggestion!  Her full name is Angel Dust, that’s final”.

 

David whines and the newly dubbed Angel Dust wiggles out of his arms and lands on her feet, trotting off to investigate the counselor’s cabin some more.  His boyfriend sighs and falls to the bed beside him, curling his long legs over Max. “I love her a lot. Thank you,” he murmurs, breath leaving warmth against his cheek.  Max shivers under the warm, heavy touches of David’s body. “I can’t believe you got me a cat…”

 

Max chuckles.  “Don’t mind that she’s a tripod, do you?” he asks.  He figured David wouldn’t mind, but he had to be sure.

 

“Are you kidding?  She’s adorable,” he declares with a happy grin, turning his head to watch her peek into the bags.  David sighs. “Well, we ought to get her things set up…”

 

Max groans, wanting to stay warm and trapped under David so he could sleep for another fifty years.  “Do we  _ have  _ to?” he grumbles.

 

David chuckles and pats his chest consolingly.  “Yes, come on! Get up,” he grunts, getting up.

 

Max grins.  “Yeah, alright  _ Dad, _ ” he teases.

 

David gives him an inquisitive look.  “What’d you call me that for?” he asks, a confused smile on his face.

 

“You just told me what to do then made a dad noise!” he says, rolling reluctantly out of his bed.

 

“I did not!” he protests, Angel Dust curling around his ankles and giving a meow.  “See? She agrees with me!” he says triumphantly.  "So there!  I win!"

 

Max snorts.  “Whatever you say, _ Daddy _ ,” he teases.  “Besides, I think she’s just hungry”.

 

David shivers and gives him a nervous laugh.  “D-Don’t call me that, that’s weird”.

 

He raises his eyebrows.  "What?  _Daddy?_ " he asks, dramatically tipping his head back and letting out an outrageous moan, rubbing a hand up his shirt.  " _Ohhh Daddy, please!  Not so hard, I can't take it!_ "  Max cackles, snapping from the act and watches David flush and cover his face with a whine.  “You aren’t allowed to kink shame, you came after I called you a freak,” he teases, unwrapping the litter box.  He pours a suitable amount in and turns to see Angel Dust craning her neck with wide, curious yellow eyes. He rubs her head affectionately, watching David stutter.

 

“That was completely different!  I didn’t- It wasn’t- Ugh, you’re impossible!” he cries, rubbing his temples, setting the cleaned food and water dishes down.

 

“Force of habit,” he says distractedly, picking up Angel Dust.  “Besides,” he says, putting Angel Dust’s only front paw on David’s cheek, forcing a smile from the man.  “You  _ looooove _ me!” he purrs with a playful sneer.

 

“Yeah,” he says fondly, pressing a little kiss to Max’s cheek.  “I sure do”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave a comment, tell me your theories or tell me what you thought! <3


	33. Law Monkey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's something irreparably sad and different about friendship through proximity than other friendships, that someone who's never experienced it can never understand.

Max sighs, his eyes following David’s constant movement.  Since winter had come, David had been keeping indoors, leaving both of them restless; Max with the raw irritation of someone constantly being productive in his personal relaxation space, and David with being trapped in a relatively small space with little to do until the snow melted.  Thankfully, one of David’s many ties was willing to blow the driveway for them with his truck and plow for a small fee, as they had a visitor coming soon.

 

“Nervous?” Max asks, watching David do his push-ups in relative silence, caught between irritation at the energy and the desire to stare at the sweat patch on his tank top.  “You’ve been at it for quite a bit, you know. Shouldn’t you take a shower before the law monkey gets here?”

 

David suddenly bounces up.  “Oh gosh, you’re absolutely right!”  He rushes to the shower. “Tell him if he gets here that I’ll only be a moment!” he hollers from the doorway, slamming it.  This startles Angel Dust out from under Max’s bed into scampers with her fur fluffed and eyes wide. Max snickers at the sight, though he couldn’t help but be a bit anxious as well.  He wasn’t particularly excited to leave the camp, if whoever now owned it decided to fire the two of them or just sell the place entirely.

 

He sighs to himself, knowing that the reason David had been doing extra exercises all day was that he’d been nervous about the fate of the camp.  He supposed he couldn’t blame him; he’d worked here since he was sixteen. A new job would be intimidating.

 

He’s startled out of his thoughts by a knock at the door.  Max sighs, hoisting himself up when the bathroom door opens suddenly, David’s hair dripping onto his shoulders.  “Was that him?! I heard a knock!”

 

“How did you-  Never mind. Dry your hair, dipshit, you’re dripping on the floor”.

 

David makes a startled noise and begins running a towel over his hair, fluffing it out and straightening it with his fingers while Max opens the door.

 

In the doorway was a man much different from what Max was expecting.  He was young, for one. Max thought most lawyers were balding white guys with failing marriages, as dumb as the thought was.  The man in front of him looked to be closer to his own age actually, with neatly combed sandy hair. He wore a pinstripe gray suit with a dark purple tie and a little gold pine tree pin. “Hi, I’m Mr. McNamara”. The blonde smiled warmly. “Is, um, Davey here?”

 

Max raised his brow at the nickname.  He opened his mouth to answer but before he could, David flung on a sweater and pushed Max out of the doorway, nearly bowling him over in the process with his enthusiasm.  “Yes! I’m right here, how can I-”

 

David’s voice suddenly faltered, cracking at the edges.  “Watch it, you dick!” Max snapped, straightening back up with a sneer.  His attention is caught by David’s frozen expression of absolute surprise.

 

“Hi, Davey,” said the lawyer with a nervous smile.  He seemed almost worried, fiddling with his cufflinks.  “Um… It’s good to see you! You look, um, great actually!”

 

“Jasper?” David breathes, voice cracking a bit.

 

The lawyer laughs a bit with relief.  Max watches with narrowed eyes the actions of the two.  “Yes! I- Um- It’s the haircut, isn’t it? I feel like a total square, but I had to look professional, you know?” he says, almost embarrassed by the neat cut.  He stands there frozen a moment, shifting on his feet in an unsure manner. “Can- Can I come in? I’m- I’m here to talk about the will with you…”

 

David seemed to shake out of his stupor and gave a false, polite smile.  “Yes- Yeah, of course. Come right in”.

 

Max frowned.  “Wait, what the fuck am I missing here?  You two know each other?”

 

Max didn’t think it was possible, but David’s expression got even more strained.  “Max, please, it’s a long story-”

 

“We used to co-counsel the camp together,” interrupted the lawyer, smiling timidly at Max’s intense expression, his own wobbling.  “We- That’s how we knew each other”.

 

David’s jaw worked but he nodded.  “So! About the camp?” David asks, his tone a touch too loud.

 

“Yes!  Of course, let’s get started”.  Jasper seems to remember that he was here for a reason, and that reason wasn’t to catch up with old friends- if you could even call them that.  From what Max could see, both of them seemed too uncomfortable to be anything more than relieved that neither of them was dead. “I just have a few questions of course and some paperwork for you to fill out David… Um, should he leave?”  Jasper pauses, giving Max an anxious look as he’s let in.

 

Max closes the door, bristling.  “The fuck does that mean?” he snaps, already irate from being out of the loop.

 

Seeing the lawyer’s withering expression turn even more meek gives him a flash of triumph.  “Well, the will only involves Davey- _David_.  I can’t let you legally hear what’s in it unless David specifically wants you here”.

 

David swallows and grasps his hand in his.  “He’s staying. We- We’re together. He deserves to know”.

 

Jasper’s eyes flicker down.  Max can see many questions behind them, but the restraint is plain on his face.  “Alright”.

 

“So,” David begins.  “Why the questions?”

 

 “W-Well, with a benefit this size, we always have to do this, you know?  It’s standard procedure to ask questions before things can be processed, and I’m trying very hard to stick to the rules with this one since it’s, well, Cameron Campbell and he’s going to be given a lot of attention by the law, you know?” He walks past them to the table David had set up impromptu for their guest, Max and David following uneasily.

 

David’s brow creases.  “What do you mean, benefits?  I asked you to come here to tell me what was going to happen to the camp, Jasp”.

 

Jasper breathes inward deeply as if to harness his patience.  “That goes along with what I’m here for, but Campbell wrote you into his will and it… significantly complicates things, you could say.  I don’t- I’m not going to ask anything I usually ask, just- I’m going to just give you the paperwork with the questions when we finish and let you fill it out since I know you aren’t the lying type”.

 

David only seems to fall further into confusion.  “I- I’m sorry, I’m just not understanding? He left me something?”

 

Jasper chuckles nervously, opening his suitcase and pulling out a few papers.  “Yeah, that’s kind of why I wanted to come down here myself, you know? It’s a bit complicated because some of the things he left to you have some legal complications…  For one, he left you his summer home on the island nearby? However, there is still possibly some things left in the house that may be linked to some of Mr. Campbell’s other crimes, and the Bureau would like to make a time to investigate-”

 

“That’s fine,” David interrupts, hand moving to Max’s and clutching it there.  “I don’t- I don’t really care about that place, I don’t want it”.

 

Jasper’s eyes flick to their hands before raising back to his boyfriend’s eyes.  “Well, you can always sell it. It’s not like you can give it back to him, right?” he says, chuckling weakly.  “Um, on top of that,” the lawyer begins, scanning the papers. “You wanted to know about the camp, right?”

 

“Yes,” David says with exasperation.  “I need to know! We don’t have anywhere else to live- well, I guess we have the summer home now, but we still need to know!”

 

Jasper chuckles.  “Well, that’s the thing.  He says it’s yours”.

 

David draws back, mouth parted in shock.  Max finds himself grinning. “Hell yes! So, the camp his?!” he says, excitement for David building.

 

“Effectively, yes,” Jasper says with a small grin.  “He specified that the land and buildings in his camp should be under your name now, including all equipment.  So, congratulations! You’ve always been crazy about this place”.

 

“I have a camp,” David whispers, looking down at his hands.

 

“You already had a camp, Camp Man,” Max replies, nudging him with his elbow.

 

“He… I…  I can’t believe that,” he says, grinning.  “I can’t believe I still- I own the camp?!”

 

The lawyer grins back.  “Yup, as soon as I finish the paperwork and everything is in order, Camp Campbell and his summer home will be under your name!  Now, for the complications,” he says, trading the papers in his hand out for a few others, shuffling them. “He also left you some other items of his which were specified under ‘Just give everything else to Davey’,  few of which I am not allowed to give you as they are illegal to own, but everything else that is legal will be placed back in his storage space, is this agreeable?” he asks, flipping through the papers. Max recognized one of them as a list, though he couldn’t read it from where he sat.

 

“Yes, that’s-  That’s fine,” David says, taking a few papers that Jasper had handed him, skimming the documents and signing while Max turned the news over in his head.  “Is there anything else?”

 

Jasper smiles widely.  “Actually, yes! Um, Campbell left you some money as well-” he says shuffling his papers to get them back in order and pulled a manila envelope out.  He pulled a fair few documents out.

 

“He left me money?” David asks, astonished.  “Why?”

 

Jasper chuckled to himself.  “He specified that he didn’t want it to go to the government- you know how it is,” he says as if it were a joke to him.  Max felt mildly amused but could see that David was a bit lost.

 

“How-  How much?” he asks weakly.

 

Jasper skims the paper.  “Well, I was supposed to give you more but once again, much of it was obtained illegally and the late Mr. Campbell had many debts to owe-” he says, flipping the pages.  “He left you- I’m sorry, I can’t tell you until you sign and initial that one- yes, alright- he left you,” he flips to the very last page and heaves a deep breath. “His personal account as well as the camp’s and his work account, all of which will be joined to yours as soon as the paperwork goes through.  The camp’s is fairly small, only about two-hundred thousand dollars, which I’m sure you knew already, having been in charge of it. The majority of his work account had many illegal transactions and has been largely confiscated, leaving you with about three-hundred dollars. The final account, his personal, has left you,” Jasper pauses a moment, writing a few things down as if to check his work.  He nods to himself and looks up. “About nine-hundred thousand, seven-hundred and forty-six dollars”.

 

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Max yelps, snatching the paper from the man.

 

“Sir, you can’t-” Jasper protests.

 

“Shut the fuck up, law monkey,” Max snaps, pulling the paper to him and David.  Indeed, the numbers were correct. “David, holy fuck!"

 

David’s face was blank.

 

“David?” he asks again, and David abruptly stood.  His chair screeched against the floor, startling Angel dust off the bed, who soon followed David to the door and escaped outside with his boyfriend and the paper.  Without a coat.

 

Max stood.  “Uh,” he says, giving Jasper a look.  “Give us a second”.

 

He quickly walks out the door, flipping his hood up to brace against the cold, only to find David just outside the door, clutching the three-legged cat and the paper, shivering.

 

“David, what the hell?  Are you okay?” he asks quietly, moving closer.

 

David was staring down at the paper.  “He didn’t leave me that money because he wanted me to have it,” he says quietly.  Max can see tears dew dropping on the crests of his eyelashes. “He wrote it here- ‘Just give the rest of my cash and land to David Holly.  I don’t want the government to rape my bank account any more than possible’”.

 

Max wasn’t sure what to say about that so he continued to stand, shivering.

 

“I know I didn’t matter that much to him,” he says, voice cracking.  “So why did it still hurt?”

 

Max feels his heart squeeze in his chest.  “I don’t know”.

 

David looked down.  “I wish he hadn’t left me it.  I don’t want it”.

 

“Then put it in the camp’s fund then,” he suggests, sitting down next to him, shivering with irritation when the snow melted against his ass.  His jeans were going to be really wet. “We can just use it for the camp. Sell the summer home, I don’t give a shit”.

 

“Where did I screw up?” David whispers.  Angel Dust curls up, seemingly regretting her choice to follow David, and fluffed her fur against the cold.  “What did I do wrong? I thought I did things right, I thought he really did care for me when I heard he left me the camp, but it was really just to get out of giving it to the state,” he says miserably.  “If I really did everything right, then why didn’t he write me in properly?” he asks aloud, though seemingly to himself.

 

Max sighs.  “You didn’t do anything wrong, you fucking- ugh.  Look, Campbell is a pile of dog shit. He wouldn’t know a good thing if it came up and asked him for a job- _which he did_ ,” he says firmly, pressing his side to him.  “Look, sometimes people are just shitty, and shitty things happen.  Being a good fucking person doesn’t mean that things are guaranteed to go perfect, it just means you’re a good person.  Which you are”. Max sighs, embarrassed for himself. “It doesn’t mean you deserve all the shitty stuff that happens to you, you know.  Good shit can still happen”.

 

David nodded, leaning his head against him.  “Thank you. I don’t- I don’t feel much better, but it was good to hear it”.

 

Max doesn’t reply.  “Come on. We left the egghead in there.  He’s probably looking for shit to smoke, and I don’t want him in my stash”.  He feels a small triumph when David gives a watery chuckle.

  
  


* * *

 

  


“So how _did_ you end up a lawyer?” David asks, emphasizing his words.  The sky was dark now, Jasper and himself on the porch of the cabin.

 

Jasper sighs.  “It’s… kind of a long story?  I- Well, you know how my mom always wanted me to get something _important_ like her?  Well, she kept trying to get me to change my major- I wanted to be in the biology field remember?  Well, one day Campbell shows up, saying he needs a favor. In front of my mom and everything”.

 

David felt his heart sink to his feet.  He swallows, nodding for him to go on.

 

“Well, he talked a big game up to my mom, saying he’d pay for my schooling if he got to pick the major,” Jasper chuckles to himself.  “You can guess what happened from there, I guess”.

 

“God, I’m so sorry that happened, Jazz,” he whispers, unintentionally slipping into the use of his old nickname when they’d-

 

David swallows.  Better to stop that train of thought there.

 

Jasper deflates, laughing a bit again.  “It’s not your fault. I’m just a knucklehead and a- a real baby”.  Jasper seems to shuffle his feet nervously. “I- I’m glad to see you again,” he confesses.  “It’s good to see you and know that you’re okay”.

 

David doesn’t know what to say to that, so he doesn’t say anything and turns away to the star-filled sky.

 

He hears Jasper cough nervously, and he feels a venomous spike of pride.  “So you have a boyfriend now?” he says, seemingly grasping at straws.

 

“Yeah,” he says, unable to stop the smile on his face.  “He’s- He’s good”.

 

Jasper gives a small chuckle.  “He seems like a real piece of work.  Kind of a chops-buster, huh?”

 

David laughs.  “That’s one way to put it, I suppose.  He can be very sweet when he wants to be, though”.

 

“I’ll have to take your word for it,” Jasper says, smiling.  A moment of silence goes between them, and Jasper fidgets. “Davey, I-  I wanted to apologize”.

 

“What for?”  David asks, knowing what for.

 

Jasper takes a deep breath.  “I’m sorry for leaving you with him”.  Jasper sighs a second time. “And for a lot of other stuff too.  I didn’t mean to hurt you or anything I just- I couldn’t _stay here_ with him and- and the thing with the bear was just too much.  I just couldn’t do it anymore, I’m sorry”.

 

David’s jaw tightened.  “Thank you, Jasper. That means a lot to hear you say that,” he says carefully, watching Jasper give him a hopeful smile.  “But I don’t forgive you”.

 

Jasper’s small smile that had begun to form died on his face before it could stretch very far.  “O- Oh,” he says in a small voice.

 

David’s face twists up.  “What, did you think I would?” he asks, emotion suddenly burning in his chest.

 

Jasper gives a shaking laugh, and it makes David’s vision run red.  “Well, I mean, I had hoped?”

 

David trembles.  “You didn’t even say goodbye,” he chokes out, feeling his face twist up against his will.  Jasper’s eyes widened, suddenly looking at him like David was a bear, but David continued on.  “You were my friend, you were my _best_ and _only_ friend, and then you just picked everything up and left!” he says, feeling his voice raise against his will.  “Do you have any idea how that made _me_ feel?!  I felt like I wasn’t important to you!  And you almost let me get eaten by a _bear!_ A _bear,_ Jasper!” he yells, trembling with anger.  He can feel pinpricks of tears form. “But even more than that, you didn’t even let me know you were okay!  I didn’t know what happened to you, or if you were dead, or what! Nine years, Jasper! Nine years, and you couldn’t have called me?”

 

Jasper took a step back.  “I-”

 

“God, do you have any idea what it was like here by myself with _him?!_ ” he interrupts, arms wrapping around himself.  “Do you have any idea what it was like to know how nobody wanted me around?  You let me be your friend, you let me care about you, you left me, you didn’t let me know if you were okay, you left me _alone with him,_ _and you didn’t even say you were sorry!_ ”

 

Jasper’s eyes fill with tears at the edges.  “I’m sorry,” he says, and David could hear the honesty in the tone.  “I didn’t know you felt that way”.

 

“Well, it’s not like you were around to tell,” he snaps, the fire still burning in his stomach.  “You know what your problem is? You’re a coward. You act like you’re this smart guy that can do anything, but you’re really just as bad as everybody else”.

 

He watches Jasper flinch like he’d hit him.  The fire slowly smolders down inside him to a small heat akin to resentment.  “I’m- I can’t do much else now than apologize, Davey,” Jasper says softly, setting a hand on David’s back, creeping closer with hesitation.  “I didn’t mean to make you feel like that. I never- I never meant to leave you alone with him. I just thought you would be fine, you know? You were always so much tougher than I was.  I was always jealous of you, you know?”

 

David groans.  "Of what?  You were the golden child!  Everybody wanted you around!  Nobody ever told you they didn't want you or left you with your- your emotionally manipulative boss.  What else could you be jealous of?"

 

Jasper gives a small, sad smile.  “You always did the best you could, you know?  Even if you weren’t very good at what it was, or if you didn’t like who you were doing it for, you always did your best to make sure everyone had a smile”.  Jasper looks down, looking truly and honestly ashamed, and David thinks it’s the first time he’s ever seen perfect, smart, brave _Jasper_ look ashamed of himself.  It does something funny to the fire in his gut.  “I’m sorry, David. I really can’t tell you how sorry I really am”.

 

David sighs.  “I don’t know if I can forgive you for that,” he says, looking down himself.

 

Jasper nods miserably.  “I… I understand”.

 

“I would-  I would like to have my friend back, though,” he says hesitantly.  “You have a lot to make up for, you know”.

 

Jasper’s face lights up a bit.  “You mean it?”

 

David nods.  “Call. Or text me.  E-mail is fine too, I suppose.  Just, try to be my friend this time, okay?”

 

Jasper smiles and nods, relief plain on his face.  His phone buzzes and he looks down quickly. “That’s my reminder, I have to head to the airport”.

 

David nods.  “Bye, Jazz. See you around?”

  


Jasper nods and gives a wave.  Just as he turns around, he hears his name  “Davey?” Jasper calls. He turns to give him a questioning stare.  “It was good to see you. Take care of yourself, okay?”

 

David gives a small smile.  “Thanks, but that’s someone else’s job now”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yaaaaaaay only two chapters left! i might be a bit slow on the update to the next one as i'll be busy! Leave a comment and tell me what you thought! did you see this coming? are you glad to see jasper? pissed? let me know!


	34. Thunderhead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey is finding its destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the home stretch! After I finish this I'll try and finally hammer out FG!

Max groans and rubs his tense neck.  “Alright, I’m taking a break. You coming?”

 

David whines in protest, straightening.  He winces when his back releases a series of pops.  He pulls his knit neckerchief off his neck and wipes his face.  “We’ve barely started! Come on, Max! I don’t know how long this weather will last and we need to get this done!”  Indeed, the weather was mild and sunny, the snow almost completely melted in the middle of January. David pushed his bundle of dropped branches onto the burn pile they’d put together by the fire pit.

 

Max growled to himself.  “Come the fuck on! We’ve been at it for hours!  I’m taking a break!” He treads uncaringly back to the mess hall.  “You can come with me if you want, but I’m fucking hungry as hell”.

 

A few moments later he heard the quick steps of David jogging after him.  “You could have waited up a bit,” he grumbles, rubbing his fingers.

 

“You seemed pleased enough with yourself to fuck around with your sticks.  I don’t know what’s crawled up your ass this morning, but you’ve gotta fucking chill”.

 

David sighs next to him and opens the door.  “I don’t know how you aren’t nervous. We’ve barely gotten any of it done!”  Max passes David his half of their leftover takeout wordlessly. “I’m sorry I’m- trying not to think about things”.

 

Max hums curiously, a wordless provocation to continue.  He’s not quite sure what had gotten David so riled this morning; it was as if he were walking hot coals the entire day and was trying to make it everyone else's problem too.

 

“I don't know, this just seems so… surreal?  I never thought of having my own camp before.  What if I don't even want it?”

 

That was surprising.  “You don't?”

 

David flounders, picking at his dumplings.  “Maybe? I don't know, but I have to figure it out soon!  Otherwise, we won't end up making enough money for this year”.

 

“Davey, you're basically a millionaire now.  Money _clearly_ isn't the issue here”.

 

David chuckled to himself, slumping forward and pushing his dumplings out of the way with his arms.  “I can't believe he left me so much”. He sighs. “We still have so much to do… This is going to be a nightmare getting this place into back into compliance with health code, not to mention all the building damages over the years…  We may even need to hire some more counselors!” David’s voice rose slowly in anxiety.

 

Max sighs.  “I don’t get what your damage is.  Why are you pissing and moaning like this is some kind of chore?  You love this bullshit”.

 

“But what if I don’t?!” David yells suddenly, face twisted up and pained.

 

“What the hell does that mean?” Max asks with a frown, confusion bubbling in his brain.  He tosses his trash away and leans against the wall.

 

David sighs.  “I don’t know, I just-  What if I only like camping because it’s the only thing I’ve done for eight years?!  What if I only like it because I’ve never tried anything else? What if I’m not who I think I am, because I’ve never thought to think of doing anything else?!”  David traces little carvings in the wooden picnic table with his finger.

 

“I think you’re thinking too hard”.

 

David sighs and slides down to the dirt, back to the tree.  “I… think you might be right,” he admits. “But what if I’m not?  Overthinking, I mean”.

 

Max sighs himself.  “Well… What do you like about being a counselor?”  He walks to the silverware drawer while he waits for David to answer.

 

David thinks to himself.  “I… I like getting up early and smelling the difference in the air when I go for my morning walk in the woods,” David attempts, sounding unsure.  Max throws a spoon at David, hitting him in the forehead. “Ow! Max-!”

 

“You can do that anywhere, idiot.  What do you like about being a _counselor?_ ” he repeats, tone stiff and grabbing another spoon from the drawer in case he gave another wrong answer.

 

David watches him warily, defensively curled on himself with his hands raised.  “Are you going to hit me with another spoon?”

 

Max grins mischievously.  “That’s up to you”.

 

David gulps nervously.  “I like… I like doing different camps every day,” he says slowly, waiting for another spoon.  “It’s fun helping the kids find new interests and sometimes surprising myself…”

 

Max nods.  “Okay, what else?” he encourages, tossing and catching the spoon in his hands threateningly.

 

“I like going on hikes whenever I want,” he says slowly.  “And when the kids get excited when they finally get something, or find something new, it just…  It makes me feel like I’ve, I don’t know, succeeded?” He stares pensively at the table.

 

Max nods.  “Alright, what about shit you don’t like?”

 

David blinks.  “What I don’t like?”

 

“Yeah, we’re weighing pros and cons”.

 

“Um, okay.  I don’t really like when the kids don’t respect me?  That’s kind of… not good…” He flinches when Max raises his hand with the spoon, hurriedly adding on.  “When I give instructions or try to tell the rules, I mean!”

 

Max lowers the spoon with a quirked eyebrow.  “Alright, what else?”

 

“I kind of don’t like when I get bit by a wild animal and how there are no hospitals close by,” he muses.  “It’s also… well, I don’t NOT like it, but it does kind of bother me when you don’t help me!” he says with a small, embarrassed frown.  “I don’t mind doing them, but you tell me you’re going to do something and then you don’t do it!” David suddenly backpedals and says, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be harsh-”

 

Max throws a spoon.  “Shut up, I know I don’t pull my weight around here.  Anything else?”

 

David frowns and shakes his head.  “All the other problems I had are… gone now,” he says pointedly.

 

Makes sense.

 

“Well, do you still like camping and being a counselor after thinking about all the lame shit you put up with and all the shit memories?” he asks.

 

David looks at his hands.  “I… I think so?”

 

“Then let's keep the camp and fucking do it!  We don't even have to keep the camp the same, we could rebrand or something.  That's easy, it's just tedious. Clean it up, new name, there we go!” he reasons.  "Actually, we should probably do that anyways... it's a miracle anyone came at all last year with the news of Campbell's arrest".

 

David hesitates.  “I’ll… think about it”.

 

Max is quiet a moment, before remembering how avoidant David was with the current topic and begins to scramble.  “...So what _are_ you going to do to celebrate getting all that dickbag’s cash?”

 

David gives a small smile.  “We could go somewhere really nice?  Do something romantic for a change?”

 

“Yeah and then I can get us thrown out by pretending to be drunk when I inevitably get bored”.

 

 “ _Or_ we could go to that pizza place and try every kind?  Order everything on the menu?”

 

Max grins.  “Sounds _tasty_ ”.

  


 

* * *

 

  
  
  


“You remember when you left to Nikki’s for game night?  When we had that big fight?” David asks suddenly, boxing up their pizza.  The small team of people in the parlor had scrambled to fill the massive order and it had taken a little over an hour to fill them all.

 

Max narrows his eyes.  “Yeah, why?”

 

David chuckles breathily.  “I kind of didn’t take care of myself after you left.  I… I wasn’t drinking much water, or eating really. I was raking up leaves and picking sticks out of the way for the lawn mower around the cabins and…  I kind of fainted?”

 

“What?!  You fucking moron!” Max snaps, elbowing him harshly in the ribs.

 

David chuckles in a self-deprecating manner, fingering the edge of a pizza box.  “I know, I know, I just-” David sighs. “I don’t know. I just didn’t want to slow down and think about what-  what happened,” he murmurs. “I just knew I wanted to keep my mind off it and stop feeling so _bad_ and… well…  I fainted for a few minutes and hit my shoulder on a rock when I fell.  I think I just laid there for a while, just feeling absolutely awful, you know?”

 

“Jesus Christ, David”.

 

“I know,” David agrees.  “I should have taken better care of myself but…  I just don’t want to get like that again, you know?  I want to be able to be upset and still… function like a normal human being”.  Max is quiet as David gathers up all the pizza boxes in his arms. “We’re going to have to eat pizza every day to get rid of all this, you know”.

 

Max quirks a smile.  “Oh no, what a shame!  Don’t worry David, for I, your loving and selfless boyfriend, will bear this burden”.

 

David throws back his head and laughs.  The next morning, David remains in bed until Max wakes up, curled together and playing with Max’s fingers.  When David notices he’s woken up, he smiles and presses a kiss to Max’s lips. “I know what I want to do”.

 

“Then let’s fucking do it”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JUST ONE LEFT TO GO! Last chance for predictions!


	35. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end.

Max had talents.  Granted, it was hidden under layers and layers of cynicism, snark, and a seemingly endless pool of insults, but he had them.  One of them happened to be that Max was the best planner this side of Sleepy Peak. David had always wondered how Max ever managed to get anything done, since he constantly appeared to be doing nothing at all.  The only reason David knew about Max’s hidden skill was likely due to both his ruthless pranking and his ability to elude or trick him out of doing any work when needed.

 

Currently, he was directing the handymen to their jobs and talking to their neighbor, who David had contacted to drop off wood for a new sign and his own fix-it projects.  Max soon hollered to David he was fine to take what he needed off the truck, and so the ginger set the wood in the cover of the counselor’s cabin.  David could see him as a head counselor.  If there was one thing Max enjoyed and was relatively good at, it was pushing work off to other people and making sure they did it well.  Maybe Max would like that job...?

 

Max ran a hand through his hair, cigarette smoke mingling with the fog of the early morning.  Max was on his second cup of coffee and if his frown was anything to go by, he’d be getting another.  Max blew a cloud of smoke out his mouth and David wrinkled his nose. Max tapped the screen of his phone and looked through his notes.  “Okay, I think that’s it. Just have to pay the bills, make sure these idiots don’t fuck anything up, and fix the leak in the roof”.

 

“I’ll take the leak if you take the other two?” David suggested, admiring the frost that was forming on Max’s hood.  It crystallized on his hair and left the dark strands tinged with white.

 

Max frowned.  “What, you think you can just fix the leak and then fuck off?  This is your camp, you watch the idiots. I’ve got the bills”.

 

David sighs and a thought occurs to him as they often do when he’s sighing.  “Wait a gosh darn moment; how will you pay the bills? Don’t they need my signature?  Since it’s  _ my  _ camp now?” he asks, a bit affronted.

 

Max rolls his eyes.  “I’ll just forge like I usually do when I do the bills”.

 

“Max!”

 

“What?  You’d be signing them anyways,” he says with a shrug.

 

“Wait, since when have you done the bills?” he wonders aloud.

 

Max gives him an odd look.  “Since… you asked me to?”

 

David startles.  “What? When did I ask you to do that?!”  David tries to trace his memory but can’t find any time he had ever asked Max to perform the task.

 

Max shrugs, shuffling almost embarrassed.  “I don’t know, near the beginning? You said you needed to do bills, I offered to do it, then you agreed and crashed.  You never told me to stop, so… I don’t know, I just kept doing it I guess”.

 

“Really?”  Max nods. “Huh.  I don’t… remember that”.  On the other hand, he couldn’t really remember the last time he had paid the bills…  The camp had still been running so he  _ assumed _ it was done, but he never remembered exactly when or where he had done them.

 

Max rolls his eyes.  “Yeah, I’m not surprised.  That’s when you pulled your three day fuckwit mission where you were fixing all the canoes and kayaks”.

 

A spark of remembrance comes in the form of wood glue and burned hands.  “Ah,” he says sheepishly. “Oops?”

 

Max rolls his eyes and begins wandering back to the cabin.  “Whatever. I’m getting coffee and then hitting the bills. Don’t come in unless you’ve got news, I’m going to be super fucking busy”.

 

David smiled.  “Okay! I love you!” he calls after him.

 

Max called something unintelligible back that could have been an ‘I love you’ if it had been said by someone who only vaguely knew what the english language sounded like and had lived in a cave their entire life.

 

“What was that?” David calls.

 

Max flips him off from over his shoulder, tips his head back and yells, “I love you too, jackass!” as if he were screaming it to the sky instead of his boyfriend behind him.

 

David smiles and looks back at his notebook, turning over the new information in his mind.

  
  
  


* * *

 

  
  


Max was entirely too tired to keep doing this shit.  Finally finished, he stretched and checked the time. He’d missed lunch, which was astounding considering there was a mini fridge not far from where he sat at David’s desk.  Did coffee count? He couldn’t be bothered to care. At least he could go find David and mail the bills. A drive did sound nice. And making out with his boyfriend. That also sounded really good.

 

He rose and gathered the letters from the table that had been covered in what David called a ‘Max Nest’.  Cigarette butts littered an ashy tray next to two mugs (one with orange juice that wasn’t actually his and another with a bit of coffee left in it that had gone cold) and a pile of pens.  He took the letters in his hand and put them in his hoodie pocket. Going out, he bumped right into the boyfriend he’d been leaving to go find. “Ah! Max! Are you done?”

 

He nods.  “Yeah, I was just-  What’s that?”

 

David lifts his bright yellow notebook and fiddles with his neckerchief.  “Yeah, I wanted to- I made my mind up about the name and drew a little- a model for making the sign?”

 

Max nods and takes the notebook offered.  On the first page is the design. It’s simplistic.  Neutral. Easily made. The name, though. “You seriously want to name it that?  I thought you were kidding”.

 

David grins sheepishly and fiddles with his knit neckerchief some more.  “Hey! It has sentimental value!” he defends.

 

Max shook his head disbelievingly.  “I’ll never understand you. Fuck, fine.  Well, at least now we can start promoting and asking for counselors”.  Max backed up and allowed David in. “You still need to start thinking about what you want to hire.  PR managers, social media accounts, did you want to film a commercial or something? You have to think about other positions like treasury and who’s going to take care of the fucking phones and-”

 

“Why don’t you do it?” David blurted.

 

Max paused, startled.  “Seriously? You want  _ me _ to be friendly over the phone?”

 

“You can be nice!”

 

“Yeah, when it’s in my personal interests”.

 

“Getting money and having fun is personal interests!”  Max frowned and dumped his cold coffee mug as David cracked a window.  “And I asked you not to smoke in here!”

 

“Ok, so I do phones and then what?  Do you also want me to be a counselor?” he asked, actually a bit curious as to where David’s train of thought was going.  Especially if it involved him being  _ nice. _

 

David smiled and poured a cup of water in his now empty mug.  “I was actually thinking… you could handle that!”

 

“You want me to be a desk jockey?” he asks bluntly, his expression less than enthused.

 

David’s excited look faltered.  “Y-You don’t have to! I just thought you might enjoy the work-  And you’re qualified! You have your Associate's in business management!”  

 

Max frowned.  “I just got that to shut my parents up, I didn’t actually have interest in running a business”.  This was a bit of a lie. In college, Max had run his own retail sex toy shop online and word often got around campus that Max had toys and wasn’t sad to part with them if it was for a good price.  He mostly did this to throw the degree back in his parent’s face and get cash, but it was still amusing to him and he enjoyed having the control over his own assets.

 

David’s smile slowly shrank.  “If you don’t want to, you can be a counselor again!  I’d just rather have someone I trust handling the money”.

 

Max raised his brow disbelievingly.

 

David sighs and takes a seat with the glass of undrunk water.  “Max, you- You’re a lot smarter than me when it comes to this sort of stuff.  I can’t plan like you do, and certainly can’t run numbers like you. I just want this to run smoothly and I know it will with you handling the money and the numbers, and being my… well, planner.  You see things I don’t and make usually good, well-thought calls”. David offered the water to him. Max was beginning to think his headache could be from dehydration and less caffeine and stress.

 

“Alright”.

 

David blinks.  “Really? You’ll do it?”

 

Max snorts and takes the glass, pulling his now dead cigarette out of his mouth and threw it in the trash, pushing the last of the smoke from his lungs.  “Yeah, I don’t want to be a counselor again. Fuck that. Treasury or planner or whatever sounds like the cushiest job I can get”.

 

David smiled as Max drank the glass down in gulps.  “I’m glad. Let’s make some posters!”

  
  
  
  


* * *

 

  
  
  
  


“What if people don’t come?”

 

“People will come”.

 

“Yeah, but what if they  _ don’t _ ?”

 

Max sighs.  “David, they made arrangements and everything.  They already  _ paid _ us.  They’re coming”.

 

David fidgets with his bandana, fingering the stitching.  “I know!” he says, shifting anxiously on his feet and looking toward Max who is leaning against the new signpost.  “I- I’m sorry, I’m just nervous. I know they’re coming and of  _ course _ I’m excited but…”  David trails off, listless in his anxiety.

 

Max sighs, wrapping an arm around, pushing David's chin down to face him and presses a kiss to his cracked lips.  Max hums, running his tongue along the scabs.  He's been biting his lip again.  He really is nervous about this.  David pushes harder against him, nipping at his tongue, clumsy in his anxiety.  "Thank you," he murmers against Max's lips.

 

Max pulls his sunglasses off to clean them with his dirty hoodie only succeeding in smearing streaks around them.  He licks his lips.  “Look, it’s going to be fine. See, here they come”. He gestures with the sunglasses down the road and puts them back on.

 

Like flicking on a light, David perks immediately at the sight of cars rolling down the driveway.  Bolting out of the car came a few familiar faces and a few new ones. Definitely, more than they’d had the year before when the camp was under Campbell’s name.  Maybe having a new face was bringing more business than Max had thought. “I’ll go get the paperwork ready,” Max says, turning. “You ought to greet them yourself.  Your camp, after all, Camp Man”.

 

“Max-” David begins, Max turning at the sound of his name.  “Thank you for helping”.

 

Max nods, face as blank as he could make it.  He’s glad he has sunglasses on. He’s not sure why he feels emotional so suddenly.

 

As Max turns away, he gets the chance to hear David’s beginning speech.  It’s more enthusiastic than he was when the campers had arrived last year, and there was an odd lilt in his voice that made Max’s stomach feel warm and excited.  “Howdy, happy campers! Some of you may know me, my name's David.  You might also see some of our counselors and Max around, but I'll introduce you in a bit.  Welcome to Camp Herringbone!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe it's over.... damn.


End file.
